1838
by D-Dreams
Summary: AU. Chloe is the new teacher in town and she began with an encounter that will change her life more than she expected from her journey to west. Bechloe e Staubrey. M to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

First of all, thanks to everyone for the welcome I received with _Ballroom_. I wasn't expecting that and I'm really grateful for your support. Thank You! :)

About this story: I have a vague idea of how could be west in 1838 as in I vaguely remember some Clint Eastwood's movies. I did some research about it but I decided in the end to keep historical facts at minimum and concentrate on the story itself. However I'm open to advices and corrections. This story will have 5 chapters so there will be sure room to improve it on the realistic side.

Pitch Perfect's characters are, sadly, not mine.

1

 **Chloe**

The so much decanted west had never been so dusty and hot in Chloe's dreams.

She was sweating and jolting inside the diligence that was taking her from Fort Worth to the territories near Lake Weatherford, Texas, in a little new born town called Lucky Star. She was gripping the seat under her with white-gloved hands, while biting her bottom lip trying to keep in all the un-lady like exclamations she had learned as soon as she had discovered the civil city of Boston has some of the most funny uncivil people around.

Frankly, she wouldn't have minded the company of Amy the Fatty at the moment, a loyal and strong independent woman Chloe was proud to call her friend that would have been so much better than her actual company.

In front of her sat, almost petrified, a woman in her forty, Mrs Junk, trying to maintain a rigid position even if she was tossed left and right each time the driver couldn't dodge a stone; and her young enthusiast daughter, Emily, who was the exact opposite and wouldn't stay put even if tied... not that Chloe had tried that yet, but she was pretty sure Mrs Junk had thought about that solution for awhile now... God knew her own mother had been in the same position once.

Still, Chloe could bear them both. She had been exactly like Emily in her teen years after all, and she was sure part of Mrs Junk stiffness was just worry about her daughter; but the young redhead could not, for the love of every thing holy, stand the man sitting on her right.

Mr Mitchell had not shut up once since they had left the last civilized place.

He was a bottomless well of shared experiences, good advices and manly judgement; and because of him, Chloe could not raise the various layers of her dress nor loose the laces of her strict corset even just to take a breath because that would have been very very inappropriate.

 _Damned_ whoever had created those traps and forced women in it!

Chloe had never liked the rules society imposed on her as woman back home. Everything about her, from the wild red curls to the free sky in her eyes, to the enthusiasm with which she addresses life, screamed about freedom and happiness and possibilities.

Boston... not so much.

So, as soon as the letter from her uncle Orace had arrived, and with it the tales of his failing attempts to find a teacher for Lucky Star's new school, she had packed her things and reassured her parents and brothers; which, Chloe supposed, had been worried but also somehow relieved to see that strange woman she had become run towards a life more suited for her, full of discovering and adventures...

...and a journey that was proving to be a little boring.

She was currently stuck in this hole of carriage with the most boring man ever and her precious books all close in her suitcases packed over the roof.

Has she kept them, she would have at least shocked her fellow travellers enough to have a little fun; but as things were, she was just going to accept to die of boredom. Her uncle would have to find another teacher.

Or at least that was what Chloe was thinking before she noticed how the bumps on the road were increasing, with consequent shaking experience inside the car and the brownish prairies outside the window passing much faster than before.

"Shouldn't we slow down?" she asked frowning, watching a little animal watch them pass by its lair.

Mr Mitchell put a hand on her arm and Chloe turned her head to watch him. Her displeasure with the gesture pretty obvious, judging by the man speed in removing it.

Unfortunately, it didn't save her from his patronizing explication:

"Miss Beale, you should not worry that pretty head of you. It's clear Donald knows exactly what he's doing. He probably know this road better than everyone in the radius of miles. There's nothing to fear. But if you feel more safe I could land you an arm to grip on. I'm a very strong man."

Chloe was spared the opportunity to respond and tell Mr Mitchell exactly what she thought of him and his strength by the excited cry of Emily.

"Do you think we're running, mother?" She asked looking in fascination outside, to the field passing in a blur "Do you think someone is after us, mother? Indians perhaps? I never _seen_ an Indian before! Did you think-"

"Emily!" Her mother cried out with a tone Chloe was sure every mother owned. "Please, I'm sure there's a less gory explanation..."

"Of course. Of course." The man with them laughed, even if Chloe could detect a sort of nervousness in his voice "Perhaps we're just late... you know how schedules work here in the nothingness."

"Or he's running because we're followed." Emily yelled, her head outside the window "Because we are!" She shouted enthusiastically once her mother succeeded in pulling her inside "There are three cowboys behind us!"

" _WHAT?_ "

Chloe put her own head outside, not even thinking about the danger, and had to retreat it immediately, red curls dishevelled, when the first of the three cowboys appeared on the side of the carriage mounting a horse black like his clothes.

Would she had stretched her arm, she could have touched his leg.

Except, no matter how much adventurous Chloe was, she wasn't crazy enough to try it.

She limited herself to watch the stranger with shaky interest.

He was all black clothed, not so differently from the way Chloe had imagined a bandit to be. Black boots over his trousers and silver spurs shining in the sun. The only touch of colours were the beige gun holster and a yellow headscarf covering his face under the black big hat.

Only after she had looked at him with such attention, she noticed he had turned his head and was probably watching her in return.

Lately, Chloe would admit it just to one person, but, shockingly, her first reaction to the black bandit hadn't been fear. While the car tossed her and her companions around, and the dark eyes of the stranger had been on her, she had felt... _something_... inexplicable and strong and wild like a redhead kid trapped in a strict society.

And while her eyes were locked with his, she couldn't help but blush violently and had to bit her own lips to stop herself from blurt out some sort of call or – worse – noises than would have embarrassed her. At least, until a hand yanked aggressively her corset and she was pulled down by an unknown force.

"FUCK!"

As the carriage stopped, all the four people inside it fell in some direction or another and Chloe found herself on the floor with Emily's leg over her lap and Mr Mitchell's arm covering her face.

"Fucking fuck!"

" _Ms Chloe!_ "

"What?"

How could that old bat pretend she'd act all lady-like after her world had just turned upside down and bandits – _bandits!_ \- were outside the carriage?!

Was she crazy?

She wasn't.

As the weight over her eyes was removed rather roughly, Chloe found herself face to face with the black clothed bandit.

Chloe hadn't noticed before how blue his eyes were, and now she couldn't help but feel like there was an hidden smile there. A smile directed to her.

Reality completely forgotten, she began to smile back, tentatively at first and then more openly, until the voices from the other side of the car shook her enough to make her reconnect with the actual situation she was in.

"C'mon Missy!" another bandit yelled to Mr Mitchell, "We don't have all day! You better do as we tell you... such an hero wouldn't risk the life of these very fine ladies, right?"

Chloe turned to watch the man roll out the carriage, immediately stripped of his most noticeable precious possessions: His clock, with the golden chain tied to his waistcoat, the rings he wore on his pale fingers and, of course, the bag of money he was clutching in his hands and that promptly ended attached to the bandit's belt.

Another one of them was poking the man's back with the barrel of his rifle.

The third bandit appeared in Chloe's line of vision for a moment, climbing on the first step and motioning to Miss Junk to step outside too with the movement of his gun.

The woman's eyes flashed from the two bandits leaning inside the car to her daughter. She was obviously and rightly worried.

Emily didn't even acknowledge it. She was watching the first bandit with such awe Chloe wondered how she would watch their saviours... if such people would ever appear to the horizon.

"Miss.."

Startled, Chloe turned to watch " _her_ " bandit.

He was looking at her from under the black hat, but again, Chloe had the feeling he was smiling while extending his cloved hand towards her, a clear invite to leave the car.

Over their heads, they could hears Mr Mitchell and – probably – Donald take down their luggages and give the bandits all they could find of value inside them. Chloe just hoped they wouldn't sprawl her books all around the desert!

"Miss, please..."

Again, Chloe was startled, this time by the politeness of this man's voice. She had no experiences of men and bandits, but she was pretty sure very few criminals would act so gentlemanly towards the damsels they just put in distress.

Because of this, - _also, because of this_ – her hand didn't trembled when she put it on the leather of his gloves.

She removed Emily's leg from herself with all the grace she could muster and stood up, freeing her face from her rebellious mane with an almost proud movement of her head.

She was, after all, a lady.

Yet, Chloe had the feeling the bandit was laughing lowly, but she wasn't sure because of the scarf and also because from behind her, the voice of the other one – pretty hysterical if she could say so – growled to them to hurry up.

Immediately, probably encouraged by the gun, Emily scrambled to the other door; her clumsy steps resounding against the wood while Chloe descended the few steps and put foot on the desert sand, finding herself in front of the bandit, which gun, Chloe was relieved to notice, was still in its holster.

Face to face with him, the woman also noted for the first time that he was kind of short for a man, even with the heeled boots he was barely taller than her and surely he wasn't build up like the wild men she had expected to met there in the west. Still, when his hand fell on her waist, squeezing softly, and his eyes lingered over her cleavage a second too much, she felt an unknown shiver of nervousness and excitement grown inside her chest.

He leaned against her and inhaled deeply; his hat hitting her forehead so that she had to turn her face and expose more of her pale neck to him.

Chloe wasn't sure what was going on here; but surely sniffing her up wasn't part of their plan.

"Black!" growled the other bandit, looking at them from the other side of the diligence, an interested Emily spying on them too, with her big bright eyes from over his shoulder "What the fuck, man?! Put you boner away! I can't believe you! Of all the stupid things-"

Chloe could still hear the bandit with the gun spitting words angrily against them, but her attention was all for "her" bandit, of which she had just glimpsed a hint of blush between his hat and scarf.

"Sorry..." he mumbled recreating a semblance of space between them, his dark eyes wandering everywhere but on Chloe. "C'mon lady" He turned, giving a fast look to control if she was following and then walking around the back of the diligence to reach his friends.

The chaos Chloe found on the other side was nothing like the romanticized stories she had read about the west; but, luckily, it wasn't even bloody like rumours that had accompanied her for all the journey.

Everyone was still alive; which, since the presence of dangerous-looking guns pointed to the men wasn't that granted, right? Both Emily and her crying mother were on the side, untouched – at least as far as Chloe could see – and relatively safe. Mr Mitchell and their driver were researching in the bags for everything of value. Chloe could see, with great embarrassment, her own underwear abandoned on the sand, near a pile of old books. Frankly, she didn't know if to be more angry about her violated privacy or about the books she loved so much.

"So, Black!" the taller of the three bandits, the one with the long rifle in hands, called the one behind her "Did you got the goods or just copped a feel back there?"

This time Chloe was sure her bandit wasn't the only one blushing. She could feel her own skin burn up under the adults' scandalized eyes and Emily's shining gaze.

"Excuse me!" she raised her head high, embarrassed and fierce "He did not _copped a feel_! As you so vulgarly put." Behind him Mr Junk began to fan herself. "He was a perfect gentleman!"

Hands on her hips, head up, chest out, she hoped to intimidate the man enough to shut him up... but he just chuckled and even the other one, who seemed to be the leader and was more interested in the men's works than them, shook his head lightly and looked at her amused.

"What? Not everyone is an uncivilized troglodyte like you two!"

"Call us like you want miss" the taller one pointed his rifle towards her and she instinctively took a step back, stopped only by the black bandit's hand on her lower back. "But give that beautiful golden necklace to my friend there. I can see it shining from here!"

This time even the leader chuckled almost femininely, surely convinced she was trying to conceal her possession from them.

Truth was, Chloe had all but forgotten the jewel and only now she remembered she had put it on at the begin of this journey, as a sort of good luck charm.

It had been in her family for so long and now...

"No..." she whispered covering it with her hand "It was my grandmother. It belong to-"

The loud shot coming from the leader's gun broke the air and every protest Chloe was trying to say. She yelped, jumping backwards when the sand in front of her feet exploded in a cloud of dust because of the impact and "Black" had to stead her with his arms.

"That's enough Gold; Green, you too." he said lowly, his voice raspy and muffled under the yellow fabric but clear enough to make his friend to back off.

Gold just shrugged and went back to the men, who, meanwhile, had opened the last bag, Mitchell's.

It was clear the man had left his own possessions last in the hope to be saved before the bandits could open it or that they would forget about it.

Not such luck for him.

Green gave an impressed whistle when the three shining golden bars were revealed and even Chloe had to gulp down an exclamation. Few people in America had ever seen such richness.

"Holy mother of - "

"Oh my-"

"Nice friends you got there" The taller bandit said to a desperate Mr Mitchell "Were you planning to buy a city?" He stepped forward, fascinated like everyone else, by that unusual sign.

Even Mrs Junk had stopped to fan herself and was watching with interest and so was Donald, almost salivating, his eyes lost in the glitter of the ingots.

"Please, please don't!" Mr Mitchell let go all of his dignity and kneel in front of the lead bandit, raising his hands in plea but avoiding to touch him.

"Why shouldn't I take this gift, when it's given to me so easily?" he asked scornfully, his gun pointed towards the man. Chloe could feel Black's hand shaking against her hip, gripping it a bit harder, but he made no move to intervene.

"It's for a good cause! It's for my daughter! Please!" Gold moved his gun a little, changing the path of a possible flying bullet, relaxed enough to listen the man.

"Your daughter, huh?"

"Yes! Yes!" the city man rushed out "She's... she really ill! She can't leave her bed! I have to help her. I'm her father! Please!"

Inexplicably the two bandits in front of Mr Mitchell turned towards Black at the same time, as if asking directions. Chloe had thought it was Gold the leader of the group, but perhaps she had been wrong. She too turned her head a little and watched the short man.

All she could see of him, those nightly blue eyes, were hard as steel and he didn't seem impressed at all by the story. If nothing else, Chloe had the impression he was frowning angrily.

"Please... please..." Mr Mitchell talked to him directly, showing all his desperation in his voice and posture, breaking Chloe's heart there and there. The man may be full of himself, but he clearly loved his daughter so much to put himself in the bandit's hands.

The man at her side didn't share her empathy though, and Chloe watched with surprise as he strode firmly towards Mr Mitchell. Pushing away even Gold, he pointed his gun to Mitchell's forehead.

Shocked, Chloe squeezed her lucky charm. Surely her bandit would never kill a desperate man, right? One unarmed, and obviously not dangerous at all.

She noted, however, the other two bandits exchange a look and she wasn't sure how to interpret that. Were they worried Black would really shoot the man? Or were they just ready to participate to the massacre that would come next? And if so, why hadn't they already killed them? Surely they had had the chance and the means to do so.

No, Chloe thought, they wouldn't have let them survive until now if they had planned to kill them since the beginning... yet, she wasn't so sure about the last bandit; especially when he took another step towards Mr Mitchell and bent down.

He probably told the man something, but Chloe couldn't heard it. Mr Mitchell's voice instead, was loud and shaking in his answer.

"I swear! I swear!" he cried out "They're for my daughter! She's so ill... she's... she's almost dying! Have you not a heart? Have you not-"

The grip of Black's gun hit him hard on his temple and the man fell on his side after the impact, hands immediately going to his head and blood leaking through his fingers.

"Be- Black!" Gold exclaimed taking the other by an arm. Black seemed unaware of the gesture. Even as his own body was yanked on the side following Gold's movement, he just raised his free hand, the one holding the gun, and pointed it once again to Mr Mitchell's head.

"You're a fucking liar!" he exclaimed loud enough for Chloe to hear it before clicking the hammer of his weapon.

He was going to shoot the man! Even his friends couldn't stop him and Chloe knew she should turn her back to the scene, don't watch it, cover her head and even forget to be there.

"NO!"

Instead, against every survival instinct she should possess, her body took a step forward, and her eyes refused to divert their attention from the black bandit.

It seemed to her that all she did since the beginning was watching him and understand nothing of him, really. Now, _he_ was the one to really have to watch her.

Only, his face was still turned towards his victim even as his companions were looking at her.

Chloe wondered if there was hope in their shadowed eyes.

"No, please." she repeated more slowly, taking another step forward "Please." She walked near him and Gold and the bandit stepped back, leaving her free space. Chloe was actually glad for it.

"It's not worth." She said watching Black intensely. "You could take anything and still be free; even my necklace, here." She rushed to take the jewel off, giving it to him with shaking hands "It was my grandmother... she was a great lady, she never judged me.. even when she couldn't understand me. She gave it to me when I was eight..." She was blabbing. She had no idea where she was going with her words, but, surprisingly, Black turned his head towards her and once again their eyes met. "Please... take it. Spare his life and take this instead."

"She's right Black" the tall bandit, Green, murmured, already moving to take the gold ingots from Mr Mitchell's bag. "We got what we need. Take her necklace and let the man live. He's not worth and I won't to be hanged on some tree because of him."

As if they had broke some sort of spell, both Green and Gold sprinted in action, collecting all the value objects in their and Black's bags, before mounting on their horses, waiting their friend.

Their weapons, still out, were now resting on their legs.

It was clear that for both of them it ended there.

Black was still watching her though.

"Please." she whispered again.

Moment later, she could almost heard the breath Black let out under his yellow scarf. He raised his own hand and took the jewel, still watching her.

He nodded, and she let out a sigh of relief herself. She had no idea what had pushed her to risk so much for Mr Mitchell if not simple humanity, but for a moment she had been sure it would be all for nothing. Instead, once again, Black had revealed himself to be like the weirdest bandit she had ever dreamed of met. No book would ever be wrote about him, Chloe was pretty sure of it.

"C'mon Black!" yelled Green, already turning his horse towards the way they had arrived a life before, "Kiss your girlfriend and let's go!"

No matter what had happened until that point, Chloe blushed once again, while Black's eyes sparkled of mischief.

The man advanced until he was right in front of her, the necklace clenched in his fist.

"I'll take this for now." He murmured "For his life. Perhaps someday it'll find its way back to you."

"And what then?" asked Chloe confused

"Perhaps you'll give me something else, in return."

It took three breath and a long look to her cleavage for Chloe to understand the implications of Black's words, but when she did she felt her face flare up. Black laughed lightly stepping over her with a last look.

"Maybe I will..." she murmured, watching him mount his horse.

After all, she thought while the three bandits spur their horses on run, she had came to the west for adventures and to freed herself from society's tight rules. No matter what happened and what _almost_ happened that day; she would gladly welcome another encounter with the mysterious Mr Black.

And _something_ more.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank everyone for the kind rewiews and the favs and following and thanks to xcombixgirlx for the movies (I'm "researching" I swear). This one is still more like Dr. Quinn than Clint Eastwood, but I promise more action on the next chapter. Just for the record: guns like we're used to see in movies were created around 1850; before then, guns had all weird shapes, but we'll conveniently forget that little fact lol.**

 **Have fun :)**

 **2**

 **Aubrey**

Aubrey Posen was angry.

No.

Not just angry.

Aubrey Posen was furious.

And when Aubrey is furious you better find a good hiding place and stay the hell away until the storm has passed. After all, there was a reason if her own father, Thomas Fredrick Posen, the third, one of the best livestock farmers in the west, called her " _his sweet earthquake_ ".

Which wasn't exactly flattering, even if accurate. She paced back and forth in the caved room of their lair, between old furnitures, coyote's pelt and broken equipment laying around.

They had done their best to make the place habitable, since it had been bought and abandoned by the Applebaum family way before their birth, but they also had tried to make it seem like no one had put foot there in ages. Not an hard task, since it wasn't unusual for Aubrey to stumble against a forgotten wooden board or an old broken chair.

It wasn't the first time Aubrey walked nervously or angry in the roughly excavated room either; but never before she had felt so scared, not even after their first time.

And it was all Beca Mitchell's fault.

Aubrey knew she should never have trusted that woman! All her life since they were barely toddlers, Beca had managed to get her in trouble coming out of it looking pristine and innocent.

Like that time Aubrey had accepted a dare from Beca and ended spending the night in the desert, scared, alone and hungry; while Beca, with her lackey, Jesse Swanson, had leaded the saving party on her " _rescue_ " to her hiding place looking like a fucking hero while Aubrey couldn't sit straight for a whole month after her punishment.

The fact their actual hiding place was the same Aubrey had chosen all these years ago, was an irony not lost to the blonde woman. Now, almost twenty years later, nothing had really changed. Once again, Beca had done something extremely stupid and dangerous, still, it was Aubrey the one pacing and worrying and grinding her teeth trying to withhold her rage.

Beca wasn't even fucking sorry!

" _This is so romantic!_ "

Worse of all, Stacie was gushing around Beca and praising her like a good puppy for having put all of them in danger!

 _ **Unbelievable!**_

"It's not romantic! It's stupid!" She exploded. Her two accomplices turned and watched her puzzled. Beca was still clothed in black. She had put down her scarf and opened her shirt but that was all; Stacie was in her usual state of undress and Aubrey had to use all her willpower to look everywhere but at her. Lucky Star was a small town still; but the brothel's owner ordered all his girls' necessities in Europe, and Stacie Conrad was the star in there.

Aubrey could see why.

"C'mon Bree! This _is_ romantic!" Stacie smiled her big childlike smile and put an hand around Beca's shoulder. The short woman was so used to her friend's lack of boundaries that she wasn't embarrassed at all by the impressive cleavage put practically under her nose.

She gave Aubrey a shy smile; the one the blonde knew too well to be relaxed by it.

Beca was aware she was being ridiculous; she knew Aubrey was stressing out and she just didn't care! Story of their life!

"Beca never met anyone she liked before!" Stacie argued, ignoring the murdering gaze of Aubrey "And now she's refusing her part just to keep that girl's necklace! How couldn't be romantic?" She hugged Beca again and this time the brunette tried actively to avoid Stacie's chest.

"Stacie... _air_..."

"Oh, sorry dear." The taller woman let Beca free but didn't move, watching Aubrey carefully. "Aren't you happy she is in love?"

Aubrey ignored Beca's outraged noise and fixed her angry green eyes on Stacie.

"I couldn't care less if she's in love or whatever! She almost killed a man! She had pointed her gun at his head and was ready to shot!" She glared at both women and she was somehow relieved to see that Beca, at least, had the good sense to turn her eyes down. Stacie didn't so much as blink. "Do you have any idea what would have happened if she did it? Do you?"

Stacie shook her head slowly, her expression a bit uncertain now.

"We're robbers. We never hurt anyone and yet we got Sheriff Swanson and half of the farmers around here on our back; my father is one of them, I would know! If we kill someone we're done. Literally! They'd have our head, they'd call help from other cities, hunters way more smart than Jesse is and what then? How would we still help the people we are robbing for? Ashley and Jessica and their orphans and the girls from The Lucky Dreams and Cynthia Rose's family? How?"

Her friends didn't answer but they were both frowning, Stacie bit her lips tight, her hands nervously opening and closing. Aubrey knew that if she had clothes on, the brunette would squeeze the long weighting fabric of her skirt, but she had just on the essential and Aubrey was bravely fighting herself to not let her eyes roam on her body. Still, the point had to be taken home.

"What would happen to Dora if we stop or if we are hung?"

"I would never put us in danger like that!" Beca cried out still watching the floor "I wouldn't!" Near her, Stacie hugged herself, scared like she wasn't before.

"But you did, Beca." Aubrey took a deep breath, fighting the need to yell at her best friend "You did. You shouldn't have done it." She looked at Stacie and relaxed a little, knowing now that they were sort of getting the possible consequences of their actions. "We should be more careful from now on. We'll give away what we took in a few days and then lay down for awhile." She nodded. "Let them think they're safe. We got these after all, we can buy medicines and all we need..."

All of them watched the three bars on the table.

Aubrey noticed, in her peripheral vision, Beca grip that girl's necklace so strongly her knuckles became white; still, her eyes were on the gold and the blonde was pretty sure that , for once, her message has arrived to destination.

"I'm sorry" the short brunette said, letting out a shaky breath "He got me" she admitted "All those lies and right in my face."

"He didn't know, Beca" Stacie said, unconvinced "He was just trying to save his life"

Aubrey watched Beca's face close off, becoming hard, but the girl said nothing. Stacie was their friend and the three of them shared a secret that could easily cost their lives, but she hadn't known the two of them long. She didn't knew Beca's father like them.

She may actually knew him more intimately; but Aubrey _refused_ to think about that! She decided to concentrate on Beca again.

"So, you just want that?" she asked nodding toward her best friend, clearly meaning the jewel she was clutching in her hands.

Beca relaxed her hand nodding slowly.

"Non sense!" Stacie scoffed "It's just a necklace.. let her have it and take her part as well."

Surprised, Aubrey looked at Stacie again. Not for the first time something inside of her shifted, creating a void where her stomach usually was.

She ignored it.

The blonde woman thought about her suggestion anyway. Between them, Stacie was surely the one who most needed the part of money the shared. Aubrey was the Posen heir, and someday her – and her chosen husband – would inherit her family's possession and the money she was carefully putting away now would be just a surplus.

Beca owned the only real Inn in the city, which was often house of the many hunters and fisherman that lived around Lake Weatherford; and in an adjacent space she had created a sort of restaurant that every citizen usually visited at least once at week.

But Stacie?

Stacie had to literally buy her own freedom and then take care of Dora and that wasn't a walk in the park for a single woman. Especially one that worked as a prostitute in the only brothel for miles. Her willingness to let Beca have her part anyway made Aubrey's heart squeeze in pride and affection and melting in liquid heat fulling out every empty space of her being.

It wasn't love, of course.

 _I wasn't it._

"Whatever." She mumbled diverting her eyes and busying herself hiding the bars with the rest of their loot "Just don't put us in trouble with that thing."

She heard Stacie squeal and knew, just knew, she was hugging Beca once again.

She kept working and pretend to not care.

§§§§§

Aubrey's confusion, those strange unwelcome feelings she experienced when it came to Stacie, were replaced once again by rage, once she arrived to Horned Prince, her family's ranch.

In the middle of the living room, she was met with the sign of Adam Bumper and Sheriff Swanson, sitting around the table, drinking _her_ wine and commenting appreciatively _her_ propriety.

It was a sign that had the power to enrage her way more than Beca even could, no matter what: Bumper with his pretentious request and Jesse, licking his ass whenever he asked for it.

Bumper needed Aubrey by the way. Or, better yet, he needed her money.

"We could double the herd if we buy McMillan's and then bulls and cows.. I will be the most rich breeder of Texas!"

"McMillan would never sell so easily" replied Jesse with a frown. With his shiny star on the chest and the easy smile, he looked exactly like the good man everyone knew he would become. Why he choose to associate himself with the likely of Bumper was a mystery to Aubrey.

"Oh he will! We'll made sure of it."

Aubrey also had no idea how he couldn't see the evil gleam in the other man's eyes or understand the implications of his words. He just frowned more and said nothing.

Really, he wasn't so different from when they were kids.

"And how do you plan to make it happen, Bumper?" Aubrey entered her living room with the posture of a queen in her castle. That was her home; an home she worked on since her mother's death and the worsening of her father's illness and she had no intentions to let someone came and act like they were better than her. Not someone like Bumper at least. "I'm sure proposing wouldn't work with him... exactly like it will never work with me."

She could see just in an instant the essence of Bumper: the soul closed in that vessel made of meat and bones and hair, flashing in his eyes in a cruel surprised gleam before he composed himself enough to hid it once again inside. His smile, surrounded by unshaven hair was just arrogant and fake. An usual sign when it came to Bumper.

"Miss Posen." Jesse stood up gallantly, but her attention was on the other man.

"What a lovely sign for sore eyes!" Bumper exclaimed finally, standing up "You're a vision as ever, Aubrey."

"It's Ms Posen to you. And what are you doing here? There was no room in Hell?"

He smirked, not affected at all by her words. Aubrey was pretty sure in his mind he was just listing all the humiliations he could put her through if she wasn't the key of his plans.

Like she would even let him use her like that!

"My friend, the Sheriff here, has good news for you! I'm just here for a courtesy visit, of course! I couldn't wait to see you again." he gushed.

"I could have done without it," Aubrey dead panned shifting her attention on the law man. Jesse's dark eyes were shining with mirth and an half smile was displaced on his face. He was still the boy Aubrey remembered; just with more muscles and a gun in its holster, tied to his leg.

"So, Jesse, tell me these good news..."

"Do you know those three bandits that's made troubles around here?" Aubrey nodded. Denying would just seem suspicious. Everyone was aware three bandits often robbed travellers and diligences; and then, some days later, money suddenly always appeared where it were most needed: the church, the blacks' barracks, the school, the orphanage and so on. Some people called them thieves; many others called them angels; personally, Aubrey loved the name she had gave them herself: _The Bandit Bellas_.

She had never told Beca or Stacie about it, though.

Still, their good doings made her pretty proud.

"I heard about them." she said "What they had done this time?"

Bumper's eyes became harder.

"They took my gold." He said "I sent some of my men to Fort Worth and he was robbed on his way back."

Aubrey watched him perplexed.

"It doesn't seem a good news at all to me." She commented.

"It isn't! Luckily for us, Mitchell gave us more infos about them."

"R-Really?"

Aubrey felt cold shivers run along her back. Could, that drunk head have recognized his own daughter under the yellow scarf Aubrey had choose for the three of them? Did he knew it was Beca threatening his life?

"Sort of." Jesse said "He saw Posen's mark on their horses."

"Oh."

"Yeah," Bumper smiled cruelly "Oh! Do you happen to know how they got them?"

Aubrey looked at the two men. She was aware she should stay stoic or fake a disproportionate outraged reaction; but she just felt frozen in place, two second away from throwing up in front of them.

"If you don't make yourself stupid with all the alcohol you consume, _Allan_." Her father's voice boomed from behind her. "You'd remember I lamented the escaping of five horses two years ago. They were already marked with our crown. I wouldn't be surprised if they are exactly the horses Mr Mitchell had seen."

"Mr Posen, sir." Jesse walked up to the man and held his hand in respect.

Out of all the Lucky Star's men, Aubrey knew her father liked Jesse best and he had hoped the Sheriff would become his son-in-law someday.

It was the only real disappointment Aubrey had given him in all her life; and she had no intention to change her mind.

"Jesse" Thomas smiled "It's good to see you, son. How's things at the prison?"

"Pretty calm, sir." Jesse smiled his good-boy-smile and Aubrey mirrored him. She may not love him the way her father wished, but she was glad that he showed a genuine affection towards her father. Thomas Posen had no sons and sometime Aubrey felt at fault for that. "There aren't so many criminals around here."

"Except those you can't capture." Bumper said.

Jesse blushed slightly and even Aubrey felt a little bad for him. It wasn't his fault if they were that good; still she said nothing. Bumper didn't need more bullets against her. Her father, on the other hand, had no restrain of sort.

"There's a reason you're on my property, boy? Or it's just to drink my wine and offend my guest?"

It was Bumper's turn to blush, taken aback by Posen's glares.

Showing a self control Aubrey would have never expected from him, he just took his hat back from the table.

"I came as sign of respect" he said; an evil, angry, gleam in his eyes "As should do any man for the elders. After all, who would take care of Aubrey in the unfortunate chance you'll can no more?" he smile coldly and Aubrey felt herself conflicted between a genuine worry for her father's well being and fury towards Bumper "I came to offer my services, naturally."

"Duly noted. You can go now." Thomas said back. It was the voice he used with bad workers who found pleasure in hurting horses; the kind of men he despised more. Aubrey had been the spectator of the punishment her father had given to a pair of them. The first time had been when she was six and Beca and her had sneaked inside the barn to watch him whip the men. For once Beca had been the one to throw up and cry while Aubrey understood for the first time what had meant being the boss of the ranch.

Some years later, Thomas Posen himself had taken his daughter to see another of those punishment and the girl was proud to say she hadn't show any emotion that day.

She had never told Beca about it.

Bumper walked out of the room and soon they cold hear him raise his voice with their men.

"I'd better go too." Jesse said retrieving his own hat.

"You're always welcome here." assured Thomas, letting go the hard mask on his face. Aubrey couldn't be sure, but she detected a plea in his father's words.

"Of course Jesse" she backed him, her own feelings put aside "You know there's always a pie with your name on and a room ready if you want stay."

The man smiled genuinely to the Posens and Aubrey mimicked him.

"Thank you. But I better go too. Who knows what trouble could Bumper get into if left on his own."

"Trying to buy the entire town, that's for sure" commented Mr Posen. He put an arm around Jesse's shoulders "Take care of you, son"

"Will do, Mr Posen" Jesse bowed to Aubrey "Aubrey."

"Jesse."

The Posens watched him walk out. They could still hear Bumper's voice, soon covered by the Sheriff's, asking him to be more polite.

When the sound of their horses disappeared, Thomas sat down heavily in one of the sturdy chair; an helper immediately bringing him clear water. Aubrey thanked him and get a glass ready for her father, who accepted it with a smile.

"Are you sure you have no interest in him?" he asked after a brief sip.

She sighed putting a hand on his shoulder with affection.

"Sorry, father." He nodded briefly, having expected her answer "He is one of my best friends... and I think he's more interested in Beca than me."

"Really?" he questioned perplexed "He got weird taste."

Aubrey half smiled.

"Anyway..." her father stood up slowly, with her help "I'm not completely against those bandits, you know?"

Surprised, Aubrey almost let him go as she turned to watch him. Thomas had a serious expression on his face.

"You aren't, father? But... they took our horses and-"

He looked at her. The same green eyes, bright and calm.

"That they did." he admitted watching her closely "Yet, I heard they gave most of what they took to people who need it. Orace Beale said that without them the school would still be a dream, and I'm prone to agree with him. Lucky Star is made by good persons, Aubrey. Unfortunately, they tends to follow what men like Bumper say." Aubrey nodded because, yes, he was right. "Still, I think they better stop for a while. Bumper and his followers wouldn't stop to watch under the masks before shooting."

Aubrey nodded looking at the man who was mirroring her expression. Was he aware of their identity? Or was he just talking? Had Thomas Posen ever talked casually about something?

"Father..."

He held up his hand walking unsteadily towards the stairs.

"I'd like to rest now. I'll see you at dinner."

Aubrey watched him go and sighed heavily. He may be ill, and the war had left him slightly injured, but the man was still a Posen. That he had seen right through her didn't surprise her at all.

"Oh, and Aubrey?" he stopped and turned, a small smile on his face.

"Yes father?"

"About the school? It seems that on the same diligence Mr Mitchell rode, there was also the new teacher."

Aubrey couldn't even manage to convey a fake smile, but it didn't matter. Thomas had already turned and was ascending the stairs while her mind was invaded by images of a redhead brave woman and the necklace in Beca's hands.

"Oh **CRAP**!"

§§§§§

Aubrey had the opportunity to properly met the new teacher few days later, while in town. Usually, runs for the ranch supplies were made by her men, but often the woman followed to keep up relationships with the neighbours and to check out the new arrive at the only store. She was just discussing the hats with Mr Wilkinson, the owner, when she noticed a known redhead looking at various items.

"Oh, have you already met Ms Beale?" Mr Wilkinson happily asked "She's our new teacher; Orace's niece. She just arrived. Ms Beale, please?"

"Yes?" The woman raised her head and watched the two, immediately giving them a smile. She was a bit different from the woman Aubrey had met on the road to Lucky Star. Her hair had been tamed in a more conservative chignon, from which only a few curls escaped, and her clothes were more simple and un-showing than those Beca had studied with so much attention. Still. Aubrey, who always wore a dress when going in town but never bothered pulling up her blonde hair, had to admit she was really pretty and her eyes were actually exceptional... not surprise Beca had been stunned by her.

Not that that made Beca's show alright; but at least her friend fell in love with someone worth of it. God knew Aubrey had half expected the woman run away from this city – and her father – with some other delinquent by now.

"Ms, May I present you Ms Posen?" The man between them said, all smile and nervous hands squeezing each other "She's the owner of the bigger ranch around here, Horned Prince, and she's a great assets to the town."

"My father is still alive."Aubrey commented tending her hand towards the other woman "And he is the true Prince's owner. I just help."

"Pleasure to meet you." Ms Beale smiled broadly, squeezing Aubrey's hand. The blonde evaluated instinctively her hold. Not many women right out from big cities would held her hand so strongly. "I'm Chloe. Chloe Beale. I'm the new teacher."

"Ms Beale had been very lucky" the shop's owner said to Aubrey conspirationally before she could even answer the woman "She escaped the three bandits! They were out for blood this time! Mr Mitchell told me they had threatened him and hit him until he passed out. Just because he was protecting the women on the diligence."

Aubrey raised an eyebrow towards the man, not surprised at all by this new version of the events.

"Actually it wasn't like that-"

Mr Wilkinson hushed Chloe with an indulgent smile but his attention was diverted from them by the arrival of four new customers.

"Excuse me, ladies"

They watched him leave with matching frowns.

"It wasn't like that" mumbled the new teacher "They had been respectful, except for Mr Mitchell... I have no idea why, but they hadn't threatened us at all."

Aubrey sent an obvious disgusted look to the four tweeting girls that were now evaluating the ribbons and laces Mr Wilkinson miraculously managed to receive from Boston. Her look softened a little in meeting the green eyes of the tall brunette of the group, but she immediately turned around, hoping Miss Beale wouldn't notice the faint blush on her cheeks.

"Don't worry about it. I know the man." She made a grimace and Chloe giggled. "I would never believe half of what came out from his mouth."

"Yes. He was saying how his daughter was ill, almost dying! And I believed him." the redhead frowned, her eyes flashing with something that could be anger, only, in Aubrey's experience, no one got even angry for things regarding other people. "I really believed him... only to arrive in town and find out his daughter is not ill at all!"

Aubrey scoffed without humour.

"I think Beca had never been ill since the day she's born." she commented "Have you met her yet?"

"No. Not yet." Chloe smiled genuinely. "I planned to go to her Restaurant, but my uncle and aunt aren't really up for that. Would be improper of me inviting you? It's not like I know many people yet."

Aubrey had never met a city girl before, but she was pretty sure they had rules about everything, and those rules would never allow dining in a public place without a male escort or a mature maid. She liked the idea.

"It would be..." she smiled mischievously to the other woman "So we should just do."

"Scandalous!" Chloe laughed. When she watched behind the other woman though, her smile became less wide and Aubrey turned around curious.

"Good morning ladies."

Stacie " _The Princess_ " Conrad, stood there in all her beauty and Aubrey – like every time she had met the woman outside their secret lives – crossed her arm sternly and frowned to mask the impeding blush and to kept at bay the her stomach's mutiny. God knew why Stacie always made her react like that!

"Good morning" Chloe smiled politely. Aubrey had not such restrain.

"I thought it was a law for your kind to not be awake before noon." she said giving the woman a disgusted look. "Surely your nightly activities aren't slowing down, are they?"

Stacie Conrad gave her a gelid smile and Aubrey was actually glad both of them knew the animosity was just a farce. Still, she almost winced at Ms Beale loud intake of breath.

"Silly pretty girl." murmured Stacie, her eyes caressing Aubrey's figure like velvet "If you are so interested in my _nightly life_ , you can find me to the House... I'd promise you, _you_ wouldn't wake up before noon the next day." She winked at Aubrey before turning towards Chloe.

Aubrey babbled something unintelligible and she was glad Ms Beale herself was too embarrassed to ask her what she meant. All she could feel at the moment were her internal organs burn and melt and the flames of her humiliation – _and want_ – reach her face all up to the top of her ears.

"Now, Ms Beale, right?" Stacie ignored Aubrey and watched Chloe instead. The redhead was doing her best to not combust on the spot.

"Y-Yes?"

"You're the new teacher, aren't you?" again Chloe nodded, watching the brunette with more curiosity. Aubrey raised an eyebrow herself, the pounding of her heart a semi-tamed rhythm now.

For the first time since she had met them, Stacie looked unsure. She turned to watch her friends briefly. They, Aubrey noticed, were watching them smiling and talking. The tall woman took a deep breath, her hand rigid against her skirt.

"I'd like to send my daughter to your school."

"WHAT?" Aubrey was genuinely surprised. They had never talked about it... not that she had a say in Dora's life, of course, but the kid was the main reason Stacie had become part of their group and Aubrey couldn't help but see the blond girl every time she went in town. Dora was always running around and playing and the woman was impressed by her manners in talking to adults and in Stacie's capacity to make her spend very few time into the brothel.

The though of what that kid was picking up by living there always made Aubrey uneasy.

Yet, she knew that very few Lucky Star's citizen cared about the brothel's kids. General thoughts were that they were just destined to repeat their parents lives. So it was more than shocking for Aubrey hear Stacie asks for something that would possibly change Dora life or make her more of a pariah that she already was.

Stacie raised her head up, her green eyes hard as Aubrey had never seen them and her voluptuous lips stretched in an unpleasant line. She didn't watch Aubrey at all, but the blonde felt something stir in her heart nonetheless at her words.

"Dora is seven and smart for her age. She's my everything. Would you teach her?"

Aubrey Posen knew that a good part of Lucky Star's, if pushed in Ms Beale position, would just refuse the request without even giving a thought. Aubrey herself, if approached in public, would react hastily and with that superiority that was necessary in their society; yet she watched as Ms Beale nodded immediately, her blush all but disappeared and her bright eyes kind and comprehensive.

"Of course!" she smiled at Stacie who mimicked her letting out a sigh of relief "I'd always happy to have new kids in class. Why don't you take her to the school tomorrow? We'll study a bit of story. I'm sure she'll like."

The smile Chloe gave the other woman was so welcoming and genuine Aubrey had restrain herself from smiling too. She choose instead to make up an exasperate frown.

"Thank you!" Stacie smile broke up, and once again Aubrey's insides melted against her will. She heard excited squeals come from Stacie's friends.

"Thank you!" Stacie repeated "She'll be on her best behaviour. I swear." Her mask dropped completely as she smiled broadly to both Chloe and Aubrey, forgetting, or maybe not caring at the moment, about the fake-disliking between them. "I'll tell the other! Everyone will be so happy!" She clapped her hands once with enthusiasm before turning around and reach her friends.

It took Aubrey all she had to not follow her smiling like a fool. Instead she obliged her face in a scowl and looked at Ms Beale who showed zero restriction and was beaming freely.

"Are you sure about this?" Aubrey asked, curious.

"Sure! Why shouldn't I be?" Chloe gifted her with a bigger smile, proud and happy. Her eyes lighting up all her face "Every kid should have a chance you know? Don't you agree?"

Aubrey pondered that. Before meeting Stacie she probably would have minded or just be indifferent about the whole deal. Her life at the ranch saved her from all the town-drama after all. But now...

"It doesn't matter what I think. "She said "You're up for a storm anyway."

For the first time Ms Beale met her eyes without any kindness in it, but with steel decision and obvious confidence.

"That wouldn't change my mind Ms Posen." She said and Aubrey felt somehow evaluated under her gaze "Dignity is not something anyone has the right to give or take away. Dora will have the same possibilities in my class than any other kids of Lucky Star."

Aubrey was surprised by the redhead. The woman was clearly expecting her to be her first adversary on the matter, and Aubrey took a moment to study the Bostonian.

Having grown up in her father's ranch, Aubrey was pretty aware of what men would want in a woman and Chloe Beale looked like the perfect example of femininity and class to make a good wife. Yet, this part of her, went against every lesson teach to every good woman since forever.

Frankly, Aubrey couldn't wait to see where it would take all of them.

Meanwhile, she gave the other woman her first real smile and linked their arms together.

"I like that Ms Beale" she said nodding, pulling gently the other woman towards the door, their skirt brushing against each other "I like you. Here in the wild we don't have many woman as kind as you. I like that a lot."

"Really?" Chloe seemed pleasantly surprised as she fell in step with the blonde "Good. I have to admit I wasn't expecting that from you, Ms Posen..."

"Call me Aubrey" the blonde laughed "What about that visit to the Inn? It's Wednesday and Beca always cook on Wednesday." Aubrey lowered her voice, letting Chloe's arm go to exit the store "Beca usually let Benjamin cook, but she's just as good as him in the kitchen. She's just too much of a rebel to show how not a rebel she is."

"That's... confusing."

Aubrey nodded, resuming her previous place to Chloe's side.

"Beca _is_ pretty confusing at times." She admitted "You'd like her."

§§§§§

The Restaurant was still half empty when the two women walked under the simple roof over the tables and chairs disposed somehow regularly in the open space near the Inn. Women and men alike greeted them with nods and small talk.

"That's Mrs Janice Norris and her sister Claire; their husbands are brother as well, they own a small ranch near the lake. They spend their lunch time as far away as they can from their respective partners."

"What? Why?"

"Sanity perhaps" Aubrey giggled and nodded towards another couple, her eyes searching for Beca who was, at the moment, missing.

"Mrs and Mr Vanaugh. They had been married for eight years and have seven children, plus one on its way." She looked at a near table, where said kids sat together behaving less or more educatedly. "They will make up most of your class if you convince their parents to sent them to school."

"That's a lot of kids." Chloe commented "Why they don't come to school?" She smiled to the couple and studied the children's table, way more loud than any other. The children's head covered every shade of blonde Chloe had ever seen.

"They help their parents, I guess. Beca herself give some of them little job..." Aubrey shrugged nodding to the elder kid, who respectfully made the same gesture towards her. "and John works already at my ranch. " she explained. "It's a big family." She avoided to reveal that Beca didn't let the Vanaugh pay for the kids' meals; something the couple was glad for and yet made them feel ashamed. It was people like them than made Aubrey risk her life and her friend's dressing up as a man and robbing rich people. Surely wasn't for the trill; God knew Stacie had almost shoot herself the first time she took a gun in hand.

Unaware of her thoughts, but empathic enough to understand the situation, Chloe nodded.

"That's kind of you both."

Aubrey gave her a shrug before raising her hand towards a young man who was preparing a table not far from them.

"Ehy Benji!" She greeted him "One table for us, please."

"Coming up, Ms Posen!" the man smiled brightly and nodded educatedly to Chloe.

"Benji Applebaum" Aubrey said, walking between the tables "He's Beca hand man. He's a good man, if not a bit... peculiar..."

"How so?"

"I'm a magician!" Benji explained himself "I make things _appear._.. " he pulled out a long chain of white tissues from his long sleeve, much with Chloe's delight "and _disappear!_ " he concluded, crumpling it into his hands and showing them completely empty a few moments later. The children cheered louder and even some adult clapped politely at his show. The man beamed to them, bowing slightly.

"That was great Mr Applebaum!" Chloe exclaimed looking at his hands in wonder. "How did you do that?"

"A magician never reveals his secret Miss."

"But he surely like to chat away instead of working!" exclaimed a female voice from the kitchen's direction.

Aubrey watched as Beca walked outside from the back of the Inn, balancing different plates on her arms. She smiled good naturally to Benji, who just blushed and smiled back before running up and taking the plates himself.

Aubrey was glad he did it, Beca was the most clumsy person she had ever known and the plates would have been all broken by now by the double take Beca did once her smiling eyes fell on Chloe.

The blonde smirked watching her friend blush and walk straight into a table.

"Oooff!"

"Oh my!" Chloe covered her mouth with her hands, but Aubrey just shook her head giggling openly.

"She's fine." the Posen heir said affectionately "She's made of steel, don't let her appearance fool you."

"I'm fine! I'm fine!" assured Beca, even if no one seemed to watch her at all. She walked around the table and up to Aubrey and Chloe. Her uncertain look running from one another.

"Ms Posen" she muttered stepping in front of them "Ms..."

"Beale"

"Miss Beale" the Inn owner repeated "Welcome to Mitchell's stop. Benji will prepare your table immediately."

"Thank you" Chloe smiled and Aubrey watched in amusement how Beca looked at everything but the woman in front of her.

"Thank you Beca"she repeated and her friend looked at her directly, frowning immediately as she noticed the mirth in her eyes.

What could she say? It wasn't everyday that she could see Beca Mitchell squirm.

"Everyone praised you cooking skills Ms Mitchell" Chloe said and Beca's attention turned on the taller girl; Aubrey watched in astonishment as Beca's skin coloured slightly under the red-head gaze.

"Uh.. hum.. they... they're kind" she mumbled giving Aubrey an hard glare.

"Ms Posen? Your table is ready" Benji told them passing near the three women.

"Yes..." Beca smiled, but it was forced and unsure. "Please, take a seat. I'll be right there." She turned and walked straight in another table, glaring obviously at it before disappearing inside the Inn. Aubrey watched her in amusement.

She walked to their table and sat down, her smile big and obvious.

"I have the feeling you aren't being really nice to Ms Mitchell.." Chloe said looking unsure.

Had anyone else made a comment about her behaviour, Aubrey would have freaked out immediately; she was a Posen for Pete's sake, who were they to judge? But it was clear Chloe thought her own words were offensive and yet she couldn't refrain herself from speaking them.

"Because I am." She laughed, opening the yellow napkin and placing it over her lap. "Beca and I have been friends since childhood, and I have to admit, it's good to see her squirm every now and there... she 's always really collected, if not a little grumpy."

Chloe Beale smiled with the same unsure flash in her eyes, as if trying to decide if a bit of mockery between friends could be a good thing. Seeing that, Aubrey said again: "I can't count the times Beca put me in awkward or dangerous situations. So I'm allowed to have some fun myself."

"Dangerous situations?" Chloe asked surprised "Such as?"

"Such as that time she had the bright idea to look inside the town new water tank to see if fishes lived there."

"Oh my!"

" _Oh My_ cover exactly my thoughts, back there." Aubrey laughed looking behind Chloe, Beca, walking towards them with a basket of bread in hand. "I passed all afternoon trapped in the water until Jesse called for help. Beca would never do it. She'd rather die drowning in the middle of the desert than asks someone else to help her."

"Oh my God! You'd be so scared!"

"Not really!" Beca said putting the basket on the table. She looked annoyed at Chloe, but a small smile soon crept on her face. "She had no time to be scared. She passed _hours_ yelling at me that day. _Hours!_ In a tank! With the echo going on and on and on. Telling me about how much of an irresponsible _horsehead_ I was and how she would never ever been my friend ever!..." she rolled her eyes making the other two laugh "Frankly, they would have discovered us even without Jesse's help. People could hear her from Forth Worth!"

Chloe giggled, and finally Beca looked at her openly, blushing slightly. She also looked proud of herself; an expression Aubrey was used to see on her face but that, for once, she didn't comment on, limiting herself in watching the other two's interaction closely.

She had never seen Beca have a crush, after all.

The two talked a little more before Beca had to go back in the kitchen and both Aubrey and Chloe followed her with their eyes.

"She seems an interesting character" commented Chloe. Aubrey noticed a small frown on her face but didn't comment on it.

"She surely is." she said instead "Have I told you about that time..."

§§§§§

For all the duration of their dinner, people had shown up to greet them and ask about Aubrey's father and Chloe's job, but none of them came as many time as Beca and this amused the blonde Posen to no end because her friend had never show that kind of interest in someone else, nor she had ever embarrassed herself so often as every time she opened her mouth to talk with Ms Beale.

She was far less amused when she noticed Chloe's attention hadn't been on Beca's neck like she thought, but at the golden rings that peeped out from the neckline of her dress, obviously a part of a necklace.

Beca had never, in all her life, wore a jewel.

Aubrey cursed silently. She began to make up some lie that could be at least half credible when the noises around her grown suddenly and she found herself following Chloe's eyes towards the door.

At the entrance, escorted gallantly by Tom Spencer, Stacie entered the Restaurant.

She had a different dress on, red and white, and Aubrey frowned knowing she had changed it for this... encounter with the man.

Aubrey Posen barely knew Tom. He was a sort of adventurer. Rumors said he was born on an Indian canoe, and that he had hunted bears since young age, before entering the white society and spent his time between adventures and brothels, always on running, always living freely and wildly. Aubrey was more likely to believe he was just a player and a big fat liar that hadn't worked one day in his life and yet seemed to get everything he wanted.

It wasn't strange that Bumper and him had became immediately associates, nor surprised Aubrey that half of the town's women openly longed for him.

The other half did it more secretively, but still...

She'd never particularly despised him... but that was before seeing him with Stacie.

How dare him? And Stacie? Had no shame at all?

She watched Benji get their table ready and, not far, Beca casually talk with Jesse, seated with deputy McCharty.

Yet,she could see that Beca was only half listening to him as she scanned the room with her inscrutable expression.

This was not Boston or some big city; but even in small towns like theirs, people showed the same intransigence towards rule-breakers.

No one talked as the couple sat down, but Aubrey knew it was only matter of time. She could already see Father Donner stand up and leave the room without explanations. Without a word, other people followed his example, while Beca did her best to ignore them. Still, Aubrey recognized the frown between her eyebrows and the red blush of outrage exploding on her otherwise pale face.

"This is absurd." murmured Chloe, watching people leave without even pay "This is..."

"Society." murmured Aubrey. She stood up too and Chloe watched her shocked.

"Are you going to-"

"Explain the situation. I can't believe they thought it would be fine."

"But... it's not right." Chloe pouted, looking defeated.

"Life isn't fair to anyone, Ms Beale." Aubrey stated in a hard voice, displeased by the inevitable break of a possibly friendship "Right now life isn't fair to Beca."

Of course, the new born beast that lived in her stomach and was growling angrily towards Tom, had nothing to do with her decision!

She walked towards the couple's table. Out the corner of her eyes she saw Beca helping Benji to clear up a table. The sign made her all more angry. Her jealousy aside – _which Aubrey refused to acknowledge anyway_ – hadn't they enough brain to know this would happen? Didn't they care at all?

"You should leave." She pronounced clearly once she got near them, even before they both registered her presence. She could feel everyone else eyes on her, though.

"Oh Ms Posen!" Tom flashed her his best smile. Wide and white and open "A pleasure to met a beautiful woman like you. Me and Ms Conrad were just about to dine, would you join us?"

"Haven't you heard what I said?" She asked frowning, concentrating on Tom. Looking into Stacie's hard eyes was near impossible since it was the first time the tall beautiful woman has regarded her with such coldness.

"I'd heard you clearly, Ms Posen." Tom never stopped smiling, but his eyes lost all their joviality and immediately Aubrey understand she had always undervalued him, thinking the man was a merely liar and a fool. A man who could control his emotions that well could be unpredictable and deadly as a snake. A dangerous enemy to have. "I decided to ignore your evident lack of education and rather concentrate on you qualities. I'm a gentleman, after all."

Aubrey blushed at the implications of his words and, like often happened, she had no restrain on _her_ own emotions.

"A gentleman? Really?" she laughed for good measure, her green eyes darting fury towards the tanned man "You're nothing like a gentleman Mister! You just manipulate people and-"

"I do nothing of the sort" he interrupted her with his usual sobriety "I'm just here to dine with a beautiful lady at the best restaurant of the town."

"It's the only one!"

"Still. Everyone knows Ms Mitchell is the best cook around here. I thought you were her friend, Ms Posen. Why so set on into make her customers leave?"

"I... I... _What_?" Aubrey had no idea where all that anger came from, but at the moment it was all creeping in her throat, stopping her words; a weight over her chest she had never felt before.

"Ms Mitchell is really kind to let you make a show like this." Tom turned towards Stacie, which Aubrey had totally cut off from her visual and sent her his best charming smile. "I love passionate women" he said to his date in a hushed tone, winking charmingly "but they have to show it in the right place, possibly under the sheet." He laughed at his own joke until Aubrey's hand gripped the collar of his pristine shirt and turned him around.

She was livid.

Not even in her worst moment has she raised a hand against someone else in anger. Not towards her horses, not towards her helpers and not towards her enemies; but something about Tom and the smug way he watched and talked with Stacie inflamed her like nothing ever did before.

So much that she soon felt Beca's hand, and perhaps Jesse's, pull her back strongly.

"How do you dare?" she cried out "It's not me who is making Beca losing her customers! It's you!" She wriggled free from her best friend, but Jesse's arms circled her waist and restrained her from launching herself against the man. Aubrey had a half idea to just push her head back and knock out Jesse's teeth.

She didn't. She did a lot worse.

"It's your fault! Yours and the _whore_ you brought here!"

In the silence that followed her sentence, Tom lost his smile, Benji lost the pitcher he was taking back inside, Beca took a step back, incredulous and horrified and even Jesse let the blonde go, astonished.

Aubrey's mind registered part of this; but all she saw clearly was Stacie.

Stacie which fair skin had paled even more; Stacie which hand close abruptly on the white table cloth and which green eyes had never looked so big and shocked and pained.

Aubrey's heart pumped loudly in her ears. Would the earth open up and swallow her right that moment, she would gladly disappear from everyone's eyes. Not luck so far thought, and the only person who wasn't watching her, stood up with a dignity only women, and highly disrespected women at that, could shown.

"We're leaving." Stacie said, her hard look pointed in front of her "You're right. We should have never come here to eat! It's not like we're _persons_!"

Stacie's green eyes hit Aubrey for a long moment and the blonde woman had never felt so ashamed of herself, never so sad for something she couldn't take back.

This time she couldn't even blame it on Beca!

She watched, stone faced, as Tom opened a little leather bag and tool out enough money to pay for every customers that had left the restaurant. He placed it on the table before offering his arm to Stacie. She watched the woman she considered one of her few friends raise her head higher and take it. They left the restaurant without another word, yet their silence spoke loudly than all the sentences they could have cried out.

Frozen, she followed them with her eyes, looking as they crossed the principal street of Lucky Star and then disappear behind the barber shop.

She turned her head around and found Beca's eyes.

Her friend, always guarded and close up, was looking at her with such pity Aubrey had to turn back around. She didn't speak while the remaining customers raised their voices in praise for her actions, she just walked back to her and Ms Beale's table, met Chloe's eyes for a brief moment, and put some money near her plate, before turning and leave the restaurant herself.

Aubrey had made many mistakes in her life; mostly trying to wear her father's clothes, and, usually, Beca had been right there to her side.

The compassion she saw in her best friend's eyes had been a first, though, and knowing that even Beca figured out the shame she felt for her own actions – and being _praised_ for them – was more than she could bear.

She needed a moment for herself now.

To throw up. Or cry.

Probably both.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi everyone and welcome new readers :)**

 **Just to be clear, this chapter is not perfect, and probably it would never be, but there's a limit to the times I can read it and write it again.**

 **I'm actually ready to burn it and forget about it forever.**

 **So I'm posting the chapter and I'm going to call it my first real writer block and take it as a lesson.**

 **This is my plan. You can openly criticize it. Don't worry, I won't get mad about it.**

 **This said,** **wms5012** **made a fantastic fanart for 1838 and you can find it at** **ffpse dot tumblr dot com**

 **Hmm... enjoy?**

 **3**

 **Stacie**

As absurd as it sounded, she was too angry to be really hurt by Aubrey's words.

In the following days they became the town's talk; almost everyone sided with the blonde woman and Stacie wasn't really surprised. All of them believed in the motto " _A place for everyone!_ " so, in their opinion, Stacie and her girls were to be relegated inside the Lucky Dreams and never allowed outside.

That those were the same people who periodically enjoyed the brothel's nights was conveniently overlooked, while Stacie found herself in the middle of a void, inside and out the House, to which she reacted in her usual aristocratic way: ignoring the girls whom she worked with, and leaving the building more and more, facing looks and whispers and less than veiled advices about her life, without losing sign of her goal.

 _Dora._

Dora was her reason to live, to work, to hope. Dora with her blond hair and sharp mind, Dora that saw everything and everything valued, Dora who lived in the brothel with her, but still was so pure Stacie promised herself to protect her forever. Her angel would never face misery like she did at her age, never face squalor, hunger, cruelty. Stacie would do everything to shield her.

It wasn't easy. Her job was something everyone was against to, but Stacie wouldn't step back from it; at least not until the day she decided she had enough... or her finances could to sustain them both.

What she had never expected, was Aubrey being one of her prosecutors, and even while she escorted Dora to school, the thought of her so called friend, made her blood boil in rage. How could, Aubrey, someone she trusted and respected, humiliate her like that? How?

Not one of the women she was currently crossing way with, whom had no problem sending her malicious glances, could confuse and hurt her like Aubrey did. And for what? There was a reason for her act? Stacie doubted it, and while she walked two steps behind her daughter, she kept brooding at the thought. Dora, who seemed more interested in watching the school from afar than care about her mother's problems, interrupted her musing, remembering Stacie, once again, to never let her guard down when it came to the kid.

"Mom?" she called turning around slightly, her voice low and unsure "Why people don't like us?"

Stacie frowned. " _Because they are hypocrite bigots_ " couldn't be the appropriate answer, no matter how correct it was. Also, it would unleash more and more questions from her child and while Stacie could fight the entire town without breaking sweat, she had no heart to silence her daughter.

"Some people thinks they got the right to judge others." she said carefully, stopping Dora and making her turn all the way. In many ways the kid resembled her; from the oval of her face to the big green eyes, but the few freckles spread on her small nose and the blond hair were her father's gift. Thank God, she was way smarter that he had ever been. "And we are the perfect target."

"Because of your work." she stated.

 _Smart indeed!_

"Because of my work." she nodded. Lying to Dora wasn't even an option. She had never done and she would never do it. "It's not just that though... I think they hate pretty much everything."

"Everything mom?"

Stacie nodded, thoughtfully. "Yes, love. They hate me, my job, my friends, like Cynthia Rose and her children, the Vanaughs, even Ms Beale..."

" _No!_ " Stacie nodded, hiding a smile. Ms Beale became Dora's hero – and, she suspected, her first crush - around the second day as her teacher, when she convinced, quite surprisingly, Vincent Vanaugh to send his younger children to school. The majority of the town openly despised her, especially after her attempt to allow black kids into the school. That had been another show of moral stiffness and Stacie was glad the woman wasn't paying for her rebellion. She heard the sheriff had spoken up for her, and that meant Beca had pushed him to. Why her friend wasn't courting Ms Beale already was a mystery to Stacie; those two were perfect for each other.

"Speaking of your teacher... isn't that her?"

Dora turned around once again, spotting the woman in the yellow dress, walking purposely toward the school.

"It's her mom! Ms Beale! Ms Beale!" The teacher stopped, startled by Dora's call and looked out for the source. The smile she sent to them was sincere and friendly, and Stacie mimicked her, watching her daughter run up to the woman. Except, she stopped halfway and turned back, throwing herself into Stacie's arms and kissing her soundly on her cheek.

"I don't care what they say mom! I love you! _You're perfect_!"

Touched, Stacie had just the time to kiss her back before Dora ran up, all the way this time, to Chloe Beale. The brunette straightened up watching the pair, amused. Dora was already talking without taking a single breath and, surprisingly, Ms Beale followed her speech without problems, showing the appropriate enthusiasm and pushing Dora to explain more.

As if her daughter needed encouragement!

After a brief glance and a goodbye, Stacie watched them walk away and turned around.

Across the street, right outside the Inn, Beca was hanging up her laundry, and in between shirts and sheets and tablecloths, a yellow skirt stood out, sending a message no one but the three accomplices could understand. Stacie ignored it for the moment, looking instead at the woman. Beca hadn't seen her yet, focused as she was on her task; but even if she did saw her, her friend wouldn't acknowledge her presence at all. Precautions weren't enough when you got a double life like them. She looked worried though, and flushed, or maybe it was just Stacie, wanting her to care about what happened. To care enough to talk with Aubrey, to care enough to fight for Stacie's dignity. Because the brunette had every intention to ignore the yellow skirt and the next meeting – _three days since Beca put out the skirt, Aubrey's idea_ – and everything related to the blond woman.

Aubrey had always kept herself out of Stacie's life, never questioning it, never talking about it. Lately, though, something had shifted in her behaviour and it had been impossible for Stacie not notice her more than interested glances, the blush that coloured her cheeks every time they talked, and her new, cute, shyness.

Apparently, not even attraction could stop Aubrey Posen from making a point.

 **§§§§§**

Three days later, Stacie was still unsure about the meeting. She had cleared her night, just in case, but was still evaluating her options and, most important, considering the outcome of her decision. If she went to their lair, she could contribute in helping people in worse situations that she was, she could keep her income and plan her future with Dora, and she would keep her dignity intact and have the satisfaction to watch Aubrey in the eyes for the first time in days and understand – maybe – what the other woman really thought about her.

The only bad thing? She'd actually met Aubrey for the first time in days and for once, she had no idea how to control herself in her presence.

 **§§§§§**

The decision to leave the House and reach the lair found its way in Stacie's awareness between Dora's nigh-time story and the moment she stood in front of the mirror and began brushing her dark hair. The rest came almost by itself. It was never hard to clear a night, as long as it wasn't on the weekend, and Jordana, the old maid, was always available to watch over kids.

That night, she put on one of her old clothes, red and quite showing but worn out enough that she rarely wore on work. Looking at herself in the mirror she considered for a brief moment the fact she was making a point about herself, but put away that thought pretty soon; no matter what Aubrey thought of her, it wouldn't change because of a dress, or a little show of cleavage.

Lucky Dreams patrons on the other hand, didn't seem to mind her state of undress as she walked downstairs. She smiled at the catcalls yelled behind her when she left the House, but hoped no one else, in the dark alleys of Lucky Star, would try anything more. Avoid drunk heads and happy men wasn't something she enjoyed, but she wasn't adverse to kick some ass, when necessary.

The streets were clear though, and even the most peculiar man of the city, Old Buck, was nowhere to be seen. Good for Stacie; he always made rounds in the streets holding his gun and a bottle of gin, shooting whatever shadow he saw until his friends shoved him back into the saloon. In the dull night, hardly lighted by the moon and few, weak, torches, everything was motionless, and Stacie walked with unsure steps from shadow to shadow, stopping to smell the air like a prey and then walking again outside the border, away from the danger to be shot and in the wilderness where animals could hunt her.

Outside the town, between the houses and Lake Weather, the arid flat land of Texas was broken by a spur of vegetation and there, at the end of an unused trail, there was their lair. She had tried to convince Aubrey to hid at least one lamp somewhere along the way, but the blonde just allowed them to rope some piece of yellow fabric around the lower branches of the trees and orientate themselves with those.

Stacie never saw them at night.

Fortunately, her body learned the way to the lair after some months, many unladylike falls, and consequent curses, and miraculously always guided her on the path to the Applebaum's mine, a place discovered and abandoned way before her own birth. An ideal place for them and their secrets. A place in front of which, in the darkness of the night, she stopped briefly, giving herself one last chance to turn around a go home, her mind twirling with questions and doubts.

What if Beca wasn't there? What if she found Aubrey alone?

Would they fight?

Would they yell to each other?

Would Aubrey hurt her again?

She didn't know. She would never know if she turned back and forgot about their trio; but she couldn't. So she walked inside, following the dull light coming from their chosen room, careful to not stumble against some forgotten tool or rock rising from the smoothed down floor. They never went too far in the tunnel, taking possession of the first two roughly excavated rooms and using them as deposits of sort. Usually, all the kind of talk could be heard while walking in, discussions about their plans, rumors about the town, or simple bickering when Stacie was the last one to arrive and Aubrey and Beca were left by themselves. This time, though, the woman heard nothing; all she could detect was the natural – and creepy – sound of the cave.

Only once she arrived to the room and watched inside it, she discovered the reason of that silence. She looked at the room's occupants and they looked right back to her.

Beca and Aubrey were already wearing trousers and shirt. The small brunette in her black clothes and Aubrey in soft white. Their scarves were left on the table, near their hats and belts.

Their weapons were missing form its holsters, but Aubrey's gun shone in Old Buck's unsteady wrinkled hand.

 _Fuck_!

"Look at you!" he sniffed loudly, smiling his toothless smile and looking more horrible than usual. His bloody red eyes were fixed on Stacie and she could see a flash of triumph pass in them. " _Look at you!_ Your friends here wouldn't tell me your name! But Old Buck is not stupid! No Sir! Not at all!" He snickered, clearly proud of himself, and Stacie wondered how much did he drank; she could smell alcohol from her position near the door and he was swaying dangerously left and right. Dangerously for them at least. Stacie hoped his fingers wouldn't accidentally hit the gun trigger. "I knew someone was gonna to show up! They're three! Yes Sir! Three!"

"Oh for the love of-"

" _SHUT UP!_ " he moved his arm towards Aubrey, the barrel of the gun in line with her chest while Beca and Stacie inhaled sharply. He was drunk and he was pathetic, but the gun was charged and he could hardly fail to hit his target from that distance. "Look at me!" he growled " _Look at ME!_ "

The blonde did. On her face disgust was so obvious Stacie was sure he was going to shot her there and there. Instead, he yelled.

"It's your fault I'm like this!Your fault and your father's! Oh Sir! Oh! He will be so hurt! He will be so broken discovering his precious daughter will be hung up in front of the whole city! Yes Sir! So hurt!"

"You were always drinking and hurting people!" Stacie wondered why nobody had ever taught Aubrey to just _shut up_. At least in front of armed drunk guys "My father and I-"

" _ **SHUT THE FUCK UP!**_ " The man took two unsteady steps forward and pressed his gun – _Aubrey's_ – against the woman. He watched her with such hate Stacie looked away. She didn't want see him kill Aubrey. No matter the bad blood currently between them, she didn't want her friend die like that.

She didn't want her to die at all!

But she had to look again, when the man spoke. "You think I don't see you?" he said to Beca who, Stacie noticed, was a bit more distant. "Oh, your father too will be shocked!" he smiled cruelly "Or not! You never know with Mad Mitchell, do you?" He snickered and pointed the gun in Stacie's face. Beca's eyes flashed with hate, but she kept quiet, for which Stacie was glad. Having a gun pointed against her face was dangerous enough without her friend's big mouth making it worse.

"And you... the princess!" Buck leered at her, his eyes sliding lustfully over her exposed skin "Who would have thought?!" He laughed and she hated it. It was rough, scratching and unnatural. Thankfully, he stopped soon, as a thought seemed to cross his mind. "Ohhh, so it was a lie! All a lie! The whole thing with the Posen puppy here... how smart!" He laughed again, without fun. His eyes, behind the blurred patina and red veins, were clear and hard. Not a drunk man's eyes. Not at all. "But you're smart girls, aren't' you?! Smart and pretty! But I got you!" He whispered " _I got you!_ "

He removed the gun from Stacie, pointing it in their general direction and made her walk near them with a sharp motion of his wrists. She followed his command, never taking her eyes from him.

"Take the scarves, whore!" he barked, suddenly authoritative. "Tie their hands. Tight!"

"Look," Beca spoke for the first time "we got money. Many money. Let us go and they're yours. All of them." He seemed to think about it for a long second, but either he wasn't interested or the small woman wasn't convincing enough.

"Tie them!" he yelled again and Stacie immediately took the garments in her hands. "Turn around!" He was watching Beca "I said **TURN AROUND!** "

The Inn owner took a deep breath and turned. Nothing in her behaviour or in her voice betrayed what she was feeling. Not even her hands, when she put them behind her back, trembled in fear.

"Tie tight!" Old Buck said again, some of his dirty white hair falling on the unshaved dirty face when he protruded his neck to watch her. Stacie grimaced. God! She could smell all the alcohol on and inside him! Still, she tried to hid it, scared of his reaction. She was sure he wasn't that drunk; he was too present, too assertive, too smart. That made him even more dangerous and she did her best to tie Beca's hands the way he wanted.

He nodded studying the knot and then turned his attention towards Aubrey, scratching his chest thoughtfully.

"You know?" he mumbled watching Stacie walk near the blonde "Beca here is a friend's child. But you? I should kill you now." Stacie hands stilled for a moment as she exchanged a look with the blonde. There was alarm there, but not fear; Stacie began to think that whatever Aubrey had learned growing up had nothing to do with normal, human, reactions. She tied her hands with trembling fingers, while Old Buck went on talking. "But I want you to suffer. Like I did!"

He walked in front of the woman and Stacie turned her head with a grimace. His breath smelled of alcohol and dead things and the woman had to stop herself from gagging, trying to hid her head behind Aubrey's shoulder.

Not fast enough. Buck's fist hit her on the face, missing her left eyes but crashing on her cheekbone. Stacie couldn't say it was the first time a man raised his hands on her, but it was surely the first time another woman saved her, launching herself forward as soon as she cried out, roaring like a savage animal.

"You motherfuck-"

Pushed back, Old Buck stood up anyway, strong enough – sober enough – to resist Aubrey's charge and hit her back with the grip of her own gun, sending her flat on the floor of the cave, a trickle of blood immediately colouring the underside of her right eye.

Instinctively, Stacie attacked him, followed by Beca. The small woman tripped over Aubrey though and her body slammed against Buck, making him stumble back and lose his balance.

Shocked but not defeated, he tried to raise himself up immediately, only to be pinned down by Stacie, who gripped the armed hand with hers, trying to make him drop the gun on the floor... only to have the barrel of the weapon pointed against her chest. No matter how wasted, or ridiculous he was as a man, he was still stronger that she would ever be, and for a long frantic instant she was sure he was going to shot her and kill her there and there.

Until Aubrey's body did, literally, fell on them both and she covered the man and the gun and their joined hands with her torso, blocking Stacie's visual and almost breaking her arms trying to save her. Also, it made one of them – Stacie would never really know who – accidentally pull the trigger of the gun.

The loud shot and the smell of gunpowder filled up the small room for a long moment, covering their cries and the disgusting smell of the man, but Stacie didn't even noticed it, her attention was suddenly stole by Aubrey's scream and her frantic movements. The blonde rolled off Old Buck and fell on the floor with a soft thud, her eyes closed tightly and a red patch of blood growing and growing on her white shirt.

" _Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck_ " Beca repeated over and over. Stacie didn't have the courage to look at her, her body refused to make any movement even as her mind registered meticulously everything around her: Buck on the floor, unmoving, Beca, behind her kneeling and cursing profanities, and, most important, Aubrey, laying near the man with her arms still pulled back, restrained by the scarf Stacie herself had knotted on her wrist.

The blonde was gritting her teeth in obvious pain, her body so rigid, Stacie could see the tendons showing under her neck's skin. It took a while for the blonde to relax enough to breathe again and when she did, she opened her eyes too, meeting Stacie's worried gaze and then Beca's, who stopped her mantra to whisper a soft, almost reverent " _Bree_..."

Stacie took a breath of relief watching Aubrey give them the smallest smile ever and then look down, noticing the blood on her shirt. She frowned, confused, and turned her head to watch Buck.

Stacie had never heard a sharper cry that the one that escaped the blonde's mouth when her eyes fell on Old Buck. The prostitute followed her gaze and saw what her subconscious already knew it had happened, but her mind hadn't yet found the strength to contemplate.

Old Buck laid still on the floor, his fading blue eyes fixed on the ceiling, blind and unmoving; his mouth open and showing the remaining dark teeth, while a thin tear of drool fell on the collar of his shirt. From the hole on his chest blood leaked out, in a red puddle that, unlike the spot on Aubrey's shirt, kept growing, dropping on the floor under him.

"Ew! Ew! _Ewewewew!_ "

Stacie turned towards Beca, who was stepping away from the body although her eyes were fixed on it.

"He smell like hell!" the small woman said with a grimace. Stacie could heard other things in her voice, things that the woman was surely trying to block and she nodded along. It was true.

"We can't leave him here." The two brunette watched Aubrey sit back with clumsy movements, her eyes on the man as well. She too concealed other different emotions behind a mask of pragmatism. "We have to hid him. We..." she gulped and looked at Stacie. "Untie us."

Immediately, the tall woman jumped up and reached for Beca's hands. The shorter girl was shacking slightly, but she said nothing. Her own hands, she noticed while freeing her friend, weren't doing better at all. Beca massaged her wrists distancing herself some more from the corpse while Stacie knelt down and untied Aubrey. The blonde was taking short breaths, pale as the cadaver in front of them and trembling like a tree shaken by the desert's wind.

As soon as Stacie freed her hands she was up and running outside the room, while her two friends looked almost mesmerized at the dead man. The fact Aubrey had left them there wasn't worrying them at all.

"Let's go Stacie." Beca said, retracting already from the room.

Stacie took the lamp on the table, looking around. In the two years they had used it, the room had somehow changed. She knew all the small hiding place excavated under the floor or in the walls, she knew where their money were stashed and where their weapons were. It was their safe place, and nothing was ever left out of place when they went home. Aubrey was absolutely a pain when it came to conceal their traces, so there was no way Old Buck had casually stumbled there and saw things around. No way at all. He surely saw Beca walk out of the town, or he was on Aubrey's path from her ranch, and decided to follow, perhaps out of curiosity.

Curiosity killed the cat, her grandmother used to say, and it killed Old Buck too.

Stacie felt nothing for him. Not yet, at least. The guilt would probably hunt her later, crawl in her mind like an evil shadow, stalk her for all day and sneak up at night, when she finally let her walls down. She kept it at bay, for now, focusing on what to do. She looked at him again, knowing that this image, he dead on the floor, would follow her in the days to come, and then turned around and left, reaching Beca outside the room.

 **§§§§§**

When Aubrey finally went back inside, she found the two women sitting down facing each other lost in their thoughts, with the light of the lamp that drawn weird shadows behind them on the stones.

Hearing her steps, Stacie raised her head to watch the woman. Aubrey had tied her hair in a high ponytail and her eyes looked clear, almost calm and Stacie envied her a little for it. The cut Old Buck procured her was invisible under the blood spot she made smearing it around, trying probably to clean it and her clothes were still dirty and covered in blood, but she apparently didn't care about it.

"What now?" Beca said.

She was watching the floor, playing loosely with the brown sand in front of her, but her question was directed to Aubrey, like usual. Stacie didn't mind; she knew their way to deal with each other and she found pretty soon to never put herself between them when they were trying to make decisions. Most of the time it was fun, watch them discuss and fake-fight and yell at each other; this time, she just wanted them to decide, to do whatever they wanted and then go home, and possibly forget about that night forever.

"We need to bury him." Aubrey answered, her voice low and hoarse.

"Fine..."

Stacie raised her head surprised.

" _Excuse me_?"

Startled, her accomplices looked at her. She never vetoed their plans, no matter how absurd they sounded, but desperate times called for desperate measures and the tall woman was sure no times had ever been desperate like that night.

"We're not going to bury him with our bare hands. Or with the broken tools we keep around. No way!"

Aubrey and Beca both nodded slowly, evaluating her words. It scared her how they were so different from their usual selves. She would expect Aubrey to yell and freak out by now and Beca be sarcastic and funny, instead they were both silent and unmoving. She never expected their crazy routine to become one of her safe places, one of the thing she needed to properly function.

"We need to take him somewhere." Beca said and Stacie nodded. Yeah. There was no way in hell she would still use the cave knowing a dead body was hidden inside it. She knew, because Beca told her, that the both of them had covered all the length of the cave up to a collapsed mass of rocks, but she never dared to walk that far underground. It made her uneasy and nervous.

Even after having reached a solution - sort of - the three of them stood there, unmoving, each one waiting for the other to make the first step. They did something unthinkable, something they never ever thought it would happen and now, all of them stood on the edge of an abyss, where rationality fought against the human and normal need to freak out.

It wouldn't last long.

Stacie already felt the gravity of what they – _she_ – did, creep on her conscience, insinuating itself in her thoughts, in her plans, in her breaths.

 _She killed a man!_

She was a killer!

And, fuck! She could be hanged for that!

And Dora...

Stacie covered her mouth with both hands, but the chocking sob that exploded in her throat escaped anyway.

She killed a man!

Tears invaded her eyes so fast that her vision was suddenly blurred and she didn't even noticed Aubrey getting on her knees and embrace her.

"Let it go." The blonde murmured over and over, while Stacie passed from tears to sobbing openly in her arms " _Let it go_ , Stacie..."

And she did. She let go all the tears she had never cried, all the sadness no one had ever seen, protected by her strength and dignity; she let go, for a moment at least, all her worry for Dora, for herself, for the future, and soon she was nothing but a weeping mess held by Aubrey, who was rocking her gently. Only when Aubrey stopped talking, she noticed her tears too had stopped falling down, and she blinked a few times, sniffing ungracefully.

She shifted her eyes on Beca.

The small girl looked like a fish, opening and closing her mouth in search of the right words or the best sentence to make her feel better. Obviously, her friend was not used to show empathy and love, still, her concern was so real, Stacie couldn't help but laugh at her expression, almost chocking herself.

"What?" Beca looked at her like she was crazy "No, seriously, dude. _What?_ "

After a few seconds Aubrey joined her laugh; her arms shacking and her voice echoing in the tunnel. Beca watched them in wonder before huffing and laughing at them too, shaking her head with incredulous resignation.

" _You two!_ " She snorted smiling.

The three girls laughed openly and wildly for minutes, letting out all the fears and guilt and memories they couldn't bear at the moment, knowing full well they would be back soon or later, but accepting the fact that right now, they were gone somewhere else... long enough for the three of them to do _something_ about the situation.

"C'mon ladies!" Aubrey opened her arms and Stacie stood up, followed soon by the other women. They were pale and tired, but they weren't shaking or crying anymore.

It was good.

Everything was good.

...except for the dead body in their lair, of course.

 **§§§§§**

There was nothing good about the situation they found themselves some time later.

They had decided to take Old Buck's body outside the cave and were trying to literally drag it in the hallway, at least. Problem was, while Stacie and Aubrey were actually pulling it by the legs – breaking their back in the process, Stacie was sure – Beca was just brushing her fingers against his shoulders, pretending to push him but not actually doing anything to help with the task.

Stacie understood her; finding herself face to face with a dead man who probably hadn't washed himself in ages wasn't her dream, but neither was passing her night holding onto his legs hoping they would drag him in the middle of the desert before dawn.

She said nothing, though, breathing heavily behind the scarf the three of them had put on to decrease the man's stench.

Aubrey wasn't so calm though.

"C'mon Bec! A little help here!" It was a growl that ended when the woman released Buck's leg and planted herself in front of the man, in a pose Stacie was pretty sure she often showed at the ranch and before which Beca almost shrincked. "I want this _thing_ out!" she hissed behind her yellow scarf. "And I want it out now! So you're going to _push_ Beca! I don't care if it's disgusting! I don't care at all! You're gonna push or I'd push you so hard, you'd find yourself in the town like now! Are we clear?"

Frightened, Beca nodded, like any sane person would do in front of Aubrey when she was like this. She could be intense, even a bit crazy at time, but she never was this angry with them and Stacie could understand way too well Beca's wide eyes and the speed with which she knelt down and gripped Buck's shoulders.

In the next twenty minutes, all they did was push and pull until Buck was entirely out of the room, in the dark tunnel. Only there they let it go, stepping back from it as soon as his legs touched the floor. All of them where breathing heavily under the scarves and Stacie could feel herself sweat profusely under the heavy fabric of her dress.

"We can't take him out, Aubrey. It'd take all night." Beca said. Stacie nodded, thankful she wasn't the only one out of breath. Aubrey agreed too, pulling down her scarf and looking at the short brunette.

"What we do, then? We can't leave him here." Stacie was glad the dim light of the lamp, coming from inside the room, barely hit Buck's body.

"We can take one horse. Tie him and... you know, find a place..." Beca said, walking into the room and coming out some moments later with her belt secured around her hips, her gun inside its holster and the lamp in hand, suddenly lighting up the cramped space of the tunnel. Stacie diverted her eyes from the corpse on the floor while Aubrey nodded.

"Leave the lamp here." she said.

"Uh? What – How I'm supposed to see where I'm putting my feet? It's dark out there!"

"The same way you walked in" Aubrey wasn't exactly commanding, but Stacie was glad she sounded firm... there was no way she was going to stay in there with a dead man without light!

Beca picked up that vibe and nodded, rolling her eyes at them as well.

"Fine! I'll be right back."

They watched the woman disappear in the darkness of the tunnel, her black clothes disguising her pretty fast, then Stacie looked briefly to the man, diverting her eyes immediately and distancing herself from it.

She sat down against the wall of the tunnel and Aubrey followed soon, seating down in front of her, the lamp between them and Buck. Stacie was glad its light showed them just the sole of his boots; she didn't want see his body, and yet she could stand the thought to have him in the dark, so near. Not out of respect, no, but for the ancestral and unreasonable fear he _would move_.

She was sure Beca would roll her eyes at that too, but Stacie couldn't help it. She was a practical person, she always had to be, but that didn't mean she enjoyed the closeness of a dead body! Aubrey, she was sure, felt the same.

She looked at the blonde, silent and sad.

"Why he hated you so much?" she asked.

"Uhm?" Aubrey glanced up at her, connecting the dots. "Oh. He worked for my father." She shrugged, looking down once again. "Year in year out. He wasn't good, but we needed help. He drank too much and he hit the horses and... he never took no as an answer when it came to women. When he forced himself on some girl my father had to stop the men from killing him." She nodded when Stacie let out a shocked noise. "He thought it would be a good way to teach me how to deal with that kind of men... I whipped him until my arms hurt.. then it was the girl's father turn, then my father. I have no idea how Buck survived all of that."

"Now he is dead." Stacie said, her voice matching the dull look in Aubrey's eyes. He was dead. And he was a bad man, but Stacie wasn't sure that made their act better.

"Now he is." Aubrey repeated, her eyes still clouded. The two of them sat there in silence, lost in their thoughts and their guilt until the sound of hooves was audible in the cave.

"Stacie..." She raised her head towards Aubrey, looking at her. The blonde was biting her bottom lip, watching her with unsure eyes "about the other day... what I said..."

Stacie shook her head, putting her walls up immediately. She had forgot about that as soon as she put feet in the cave and found Old Buck pointing a gun to her best friends and, surely, she didn't thought this would be the right moment, or place, to discuss what had happened between them.

"Not now, Aubrey."

"But..."

"Not now."

Aubrey stood up, and soon Stacie followed her, a mask of hardness on her face. She ignored the blonde until Beca reached their position, followed by her horse, Harmony.

"I'm counting all my bruises tomorrow and I'll know they're all your fault!" she exclaimed, a laugh in her voice. Clearly, the fresh air helped her a lot. Aubrey scoffed, but said nothing. She took the bridle in her hand and helped the short girl to move Harmony, whom didn't seem shocked at all by the presence of a dead man in front of her. Stacie took the lamp and walked inside the room once again, turning out with Aubrey's gun and her own rifle.

They tied one end of the rope to Buck's legs and the other to Harmony's saddle, a task that was way easier than watching the body be dragged and pulled and rolled around in the dusk all the way outside the cave by a recalcitrant horse.

Stacie was sure the memory of that journey would taunt her for months to come and the following hours were no better, but in the end, they found a place where to leave the body, away from any human path. They knew nature would do the rest of the job, and take care of the remains of Buck. Coyote and vultures would eat it, and snakes or some other small animal would find repair in his bones.

Stacie was ready to go, but Beca pulled something out from one of the pockets on Harmony's saddle. It shone for a moment in her hands when the woman took it over the corpse.

Only then, while its content was poured out over Buck's lifeless body, Stacie understood it was the bottle of whiskey all of them kept in the saddle for every eventuality. So far, they had used it only once, when Beca had been hurt, and since that accident they had been way more careful when it came to hidden guns.

Once the bottle was empty, Beca watched them and Stacie wondered if she was expecting them to object.

They didn't.

The tall brunette found the gesture somehow appropriate; liquor had been Buck's only friend, after all, and it would accompany him all the way to hell. Near her Aubrey signed herself and turned around, walking back to the cave in silence. Only there, with Beca gone, she tried to talk, again, with Stacie, but the other woman was too tired, too worried and definitely too shocked still to really give her a chance to explain.

With a cold look Stacie left, knowing the night would be etched in her mind forever.

 **§§§§§**

She had hoped no one would see her get back to the House, but all her luck definitely ended in the cave, when the bullet hit Buck's chest and not hers or Aubrey's.

"Rough night, sweety?" one of the other girls, Flo, asked as soon as she entered the building. Although it was late and many patrons had already left, the light of the main room was on and some customers still lingered playing or talking with each other and some girls. She had been smart enough to avoid the front door, but there was no way to slip upstairs without being noticed.

"You can say that." she answered, putting on a smile "At least it was worth the check."

"Yeah?!" Flo, younger and way less requested than Stacie – who wasn't, really? - looked at her in curiosity, smiling expectantly. "Who was the man?"

Stacie smiled maliciously, trying to hide all her fatigue and guilt.

"A smart girl never give away her secrets, Flo. No names, no tales."

"You are no fun!" The younger prostitute pouted, before shrugging. Stacie was always friendly enough to share her thoughts and experiences with the other girls, as long as they didn't bug her too much. Every time it happened, she closed off like Fort Worth. This time, she just laughed, stepping over the stairs and disappearing on the second floor while Flo reached the patrons.

The woman entered her room in silence, closing the door behind her and lighting up one of candles she kept on the night stand. She watched her daughter sleep soundly on the only bed of the room, big enough for both of them, and sighed deeply.

Dora was safe. She was and she would be in the future, Stacie would always made sure of it, but the tale Aubrey told her made her shiver of fear and trepidation. There would be a day in which Stacie would not be able to protect her, and it was a terrible thought, one that made a sob escape, alone and bitter, followed by warm desperate tears.

She had risked her life that night, almost left Dora alone, living in a brothel.

The thought was so terrible and full of dark possibilities it made even Buck's death less real, less horrible, even if only for a moment.

A moment that was enough for her to decide to not get herself in trouble anymore.

No matter what.

 **§§§§§**

She ignored Beca's signal twice in the following month. She heard rumors about money being dropped to the fishermen's girls, but she ignored them purposely.

It was better for everyone, she thought, for Beca and Aubrey, for Dora and for Stacie herself. Lately, all she did was work and trying to sleep, spending her nights awake and troubled; lost in the memories of Old Buck and worrying about the future. Even the men who still visited her daily, noticed her tiredness and addressed it with the same unkindly way they would talk about horses or livestocks. Only Tom had been a bit more kind, but the fact he had addressed her state at all meant she couldn't keep going on like that.

She had to do something about it. She just had no idea what.

It was there than something completely out of the ordinary happened at the Lucky Dreams Brothel: Aubrey Posen presented herself, and all her proud stubbornness, on the steps of the House, to be literally escorted inside by patrons and girls, like a freak show ready to happen.

Usually, families went in town Sunday mornings, in time for Church, but single men, who lived outside Lucky Star and worked all week in wilderness and, some of them, in complete solitude, reached the town Saturday night, and passed it at the brothel, fulling its rooms of tanned, muscular big guys, usually smelling like goats and likely to fight and swear and drink like there was no tomorrow.

In the middle of this human chaos, stood Aubrey, with her worn out clothes, her long blond hair loose on her back and looking completely out of place.

Stacie, from her position near the banister on the second floor, spied her.

She couldn't decide if the men were more astonished or tuned on by that unusual vision, but she could see Tom, sitting on one of the red armchairs, watching Aubrey smiling in his lazy way and then look up at her, winking. She could also see Luke, their boss, walk up to the blonde and talk with her for awhile. When some money passed from Aubrey to him, he smiled broadly and gestured to Candice, who was opportunely walking near them, to get closer. By then all the girls around Stacie were openly commenting and the woman wasn't surprised hearing that some of them wouldn't mind a night with Aubrey, just for fun.

She was even less shocked seeing Candice leave Luke and walk upstairs.

When she noticed the girls gathered there, she laughed openly, sharing their same stupor, her eyes finding immediately Stacie's.

"Who's the lucky girl?" asked one of the prostitutes. Candice shook her head but didn't answered, reaching them on the hallway of the second floor. "How much she paid?" asked another one, immediately silenced by the new comer.

"What are you doing here?" Candice hissed still smiling "Luke is getting angry! Hurry up! Those men wouldn't do all by themselves!"

Stacie shook her head smiling at some of the girls' comments.

Downstairs, Aubrey was looking more and more uncomfortable, especially as the twenty women walked purposely around her, acclaimed by a round of applause, encouraging cheers and inevitable jokes. The prostitutes were used to it, but the ranch girl looked like she was ready to burn in flames of embarrassment.

So much for the inscrutable heir of Horned Prince.

"It's _you_."

Stacie raised her eyes on Candice, searching for any possible sign of mockery, but the woman was only curious and a little shocked.

"How much?" she asked, adjusting her long dark hair so that her curls fell on the exposed pale cleavage in a natural and alluring way.

"A lot! And I mean, _a lot!_ " the other woman shook her head incredulously. "You wouldn't believe it."

Stacie scoffed. She had no trouble _believing_ when it came to Aubrey. Everyone who had ever met the woman knew very well she was capable of everything just to prove a point. Obviously she wanted to talk with Stacie and nothing, _nothing,_ could stand on her way!

"I have to give it to her, Stacie." Candice said after a while "The girl got balls!"

"More than you think." murmured Stacie.

Audacity wasn't something that failed Aubrey, still it was a pretty bold move even for her. "Well... let's give her our best. Shall we?" The princess smiled her show smile and raised her head elegantly.

Yes, Aubrey was going to get _exactly_ what she did paid for.

 **§§§§§**

As soon as she stepped on the first floor, whistles and clapping started, welcoming her warmly and quite loudly.

Stacie answered them with mysterious smiles and sensual movements, advancing slowly towards Aubrey.

She made a show of studying the blond woman like she had never seen her before, like she was a sort of exotic gift she needed to unwrap, to discover.

She circled her unmoving body, noticing how the trousers she wore were way more fitting and showing than the one she put on usually as a bandit. She also saw dirty spots that could no longer be cleaned and she found that even those suited Aubrey; made her more credible, more appealing. This was the real deal, Aubrey, as Stacie had never seen her.

Also, she wasn't talking, something she found funny too.

The prostitute could bet it was costing Aubrey more than she had just paid to met her, to not answer to the men yells.

She let her squirm for a while, circling her repeatedly and slowly until the blonde was too distracted by the men to really appreciate her presence. Only then, she put her hands on Aubrey's chest, right over her breasts and not even the chorus of advices and appreciations sent their way, could distract the woman anymore.

Stacie ignored them too. Men could be so pathetic when it came to sex... they never showed a bit of control, never appreciated patience, building, discovering. She kept looking into Aubrey's eyes, growing bigger and bigger and scared. Yet, in a very Posed fashion, the woman stood still and Stacie took advantage of her stiffness raising her hands up, caressing her neck, the smooth skin of her cheeks, noticing the cut Buck made had healed. Stacie touched her hair, putting a blonde lock over her ear. She smiled when the tip reddened violently, even if the rest of the woman was locked in a strange rigidity. She caressed her face softly and thought about what her grandmother always said about the eyes being the mirror of the soul.

Aubrey's soul was displaced in front of her without walls or protections and Stacie felt a thug of.. _something_... in her chest. Aubrey was risking a lot reaching out for her, and Stacie wasn't going to keep her there, in front of everyone, embarrassed and over conscious.

"Well, _stud_ " she smiled maliciously and Aubrey's eyes immediately fell on her lips. "Let's give you your price!"

She pulled lightly the other woman's collar, turning around. Aubrey gulped but followed immediately, ignoring the loud cheers around her. Many men offered their help, but no one tried to get between them, so Stacie just winked, stepping on the stairs.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of her just fine!"

She giggled at the men raucous response and Aubrey's chocked " _what?_ ", adding more than a little emphasis on her movements... Aubrey was a paying customer after all, no harm in showing her the goods.

Only once they reached the second floor, the noises from downstairs dampened out, leaving them surrounded by hushed sounds and a strange new tension between them. She gladly took Aubrey to her working room and the two entered, closing the door behind. The room was already lit by two candles and Stacie noticed, not for the first time, how bare it looked. Usually men never commented on it, probably not caring at all, but Aubrey wasn't a man and she immediately spoke up, looking around.

"This isn't your room, right? I mean... you and Dora aren't living here..."

"I doubt this is the reason you came here, Posen." Stacie said, not answering at all. She walked up to the other woman and Aubrey walked back, hitting the wooden door. The prostitute studied her for a long moment, trying to understand what her friend wanted from her. She had put some space between them, she had openly ignored their messages, but that didn't meant Aubrey should have thrown away her reputation just to talk with her.

Not that she was talking; the woman was barely watching her and Stacie wasn't sure what was going on in her mind.

She raised her hands over the knotted lace of her corset and was glad Aubrey's eyes followed her movements. It was weird seeing the blonde so controlled, almost apathetic after she was brave enough to step inside the brothel challenging every society's rule.

"W-what... what are you doing?" Stacie raised one dark eyebrow, hands occupied freeing the material from the holes in the red fabric.

"Giving you what you paid for." she smirked when Aubrey let out a broken yelp.

"I-uhm... I don't really... I mean, I'm not here for that. I... can you stop, please?"

Stacie didn't.

With studied movements she opened her corset all way down, uncovering the body beneath, letting Aubrey seen an alluring slice of skin, pale and smooth, and a hint of breasts.

"Why are you here, if not for this?" She asked, letting out a bit of frustration she had felt toward the woman since their fight at the restaurant "I'm just a whore, aren't I? And you've paid for this. Well... here I am! Enjoy!"

"Wh-"

With a smooth move, savouring the moment and Aubrey's intense gaze, Stacie freed herself from the corset, showing her naked torso to the other woman. She raised her head when the garment fell on the floor and waited shivering slightly in the chilling hair of the room.

She could almost _feel_ the blonde's eyes roam over her body, from the curve of her hips to the flat skin of her stomach, over the shadows of her ribs, to stop for a long, long, moment on her breasts, pale and full and high with the little dark nipples poking out. It took some time for Aubrey to continue her journey and Stacie shivered again when the woman's eyes travelled up her neck and then on her face to met her own.

She forced herself to relax, to let go every trace of anger and hurt and frustration towards Aubrey and just look to her soul, just let her look to her own.

"Are you here for this?" she asked lowly. There was no accusation in her voice, yet Aubrey blushed.

"N-no. Of course not."

"No?"

"I-well-no-I'm not-uhm" Stacie rolled her eyes.

"Aubrey, I know you're... attracted to me." She met her eyes and raised her hands, putting it on Aubrey's shoulders, stopping the blonde from bolting away. "No, no. It's fine, it's fine. Look at me, love. Look at me." She raised her left hand on the woman's cheek, caressing it slowly and giving her a reassuring smile. "You can look all you want, uhm, yes?" The blonde nodded briefly, her eyes dropping down and her blush accentuating violently.

"Yes. I just..." Stacie kept caressing her, and soon Aubrey moved her face against the palm of her hand, kissing it briefly. She raised her eyes again to met Stacie's. "I just... need to apologize. I shouldn't have..."

"You don't have to apologize, Aubrey." Stacie interrupted her. "I'm a whore. It's what I do. Everyone know it and you just said it aloud. No big."

"It's what you do." Aubrey repeated looking into Stacie's green eyes, "It's not who you are." She exhaled slowly, raising her head in determination and Stacie was glad to see it. This Aubrey was so out of character in respect to the person she knew that it made her feel out of place somehow. "You are a great friend. A loyal friend. You're brave and kind and I see you with Dora and you're so good to her!" Stacie listened in shock. She knew both Aubrey and Beca considered her worth enough to be part of their group, but not a word had ever been wasted talking about it. They both were more inclined to brood and fight than opening up, and Stacie never minded it, she had found a good place with them anyway.

"You're keeping an eye on me, I see." she joked, more touched than she would show.

"I did. I do. I.. I mean, I can't help it." Aubrey frowned, not at all pleased with herself "I tried, you know? But I noticed you again and again and.. I like what I see. Even if I shouldn't. Even when it makes me angry or..." she stopped abruptly, blushing once again.

"Or?"

"Or jealous."

Stacie wondered if that was how women felt when they were properly courted. Like their heart was everywhere but in their chest and they couldn't restrain from smiling.

"I am sorry." Aubrey whispered again "I had no right to speak to you like that and it's not a justification that seeing you with Tom Spencer had me freaking out like a crazy person..."

"It's fine Aubrey" Stacie smiled. "People did worse things out of jealousy than insult a prostitute." She spoke in a understanding tone, soft and forgiving, but stopped Aubrey when the blonde tried to talk again. "So, you came here to apologize... You know it means you'd be the town next rumour, right?"

Surprisingly, Aubrey laughed, raising her hands to touch lightly and tentatively, Stacie hips.

The brunette shivered under the soft touch of her fingertips and met the other woman's eyes; Aubrey was studying her shyly, expecting some reaction, but when Stacie didn't talk, she let her fingers wander on her skin slowly, drawing random paths and making her shiver of anticipation and want.

"I am the town talk since the day I met Beca." She said smiling and shrugging like she had never resented it at all. "That's the story of my life, really." She looked down at her own hands, biting her lip briefly before meeting once again, Stacie's eyes. "It.. it's this okay?"

Stacie felt herself blush. Something that hadn't happened to her since she was, like, ten, and nodded, letting her own arms slip around Aubrey's neck as she pressed her body against the woman. Aubrey stopped breathing for a moment and she smiled, loving the way she was reacting, loving the feeling of her hands on her skin, embracing her, discovering, learning. Until Aubrey spoke again, and she put, quite reluctantly, a bit of space between them.

"I came for something else too..." she said, pouting. She unconsciously pulled Stacie towards her, and the woman made no resistance, following the movement sensually and returning in her previous position. She put her head on Aubrey's shoulder, kissing her neck softly.

The blonde laughed briefly, out of nervousness, but turned her head against Stacie's hair, inhaling the smell of her perfume and stopping her from kissing again. The brunette raised her head confused; perhaps she had gone too far; but turning towards Aubrey, she found herself face to face with the woman and with a smile she let her lips brush against hers.

She touched Aubrey's lips briefly, once, twice, her body shivering in all the right places while, against her, the other woman tried to follow her movements, not really sure, not really experienced, but willing to learn as their mouths met again and again, kissing, savouring, biting, and their hands explored freely.

Until Aubrey remembered she could use her voice for other things than repeating Stacie name over and over.

"W-wai... wait Stacie."

"Uhm?" The brunette gazed her mouth with her own and licked her bottom lips for good measure, but Aubrey draw her head back, escaping her. She let out a frustrated growl and put some distance between them.

No man was so complicate!

"What?"

"Sorry..." Aubrey was so red and so embarrassed Stacie forgave her immediately. The fact she couldn't stay angry with Aubrey didn't escaped her but she choose to think about it later, once the blonde had left the House. She shook her head and breathed, but gave Aubrey a resigned smile, allowing her to talk.

"Fine" She conceded putting her hands on Aubrey's belt and opening it with few, firm movements. "Tell me the other reason you came her for."

"Uhm.. what- What are you doing?"

"You know what I'm doing, love" Stacie answered freeing the belt from its shiny buckle " _Talk._.."

"Y-yes... uhm..." the blonde straightened up keeping her eyes on Stacie's hands, busy on the bottoms of her shirt. "I.. uhm... I have a proposition..."

Stacie stopped and watched her, arching an eyebrow and smirking maliciously, before resuming her task.

"Good. I like proposition."

"I want you come with me. To my ranch. To Horned Prince... to live with me." Stacie continued to open up the bottoms, looking down at her hands, her green eyes hidden. "Stacie?"

Stacie's hands grazed the blonde breasts accidentally, following the path of buttons and going up to the collar of the shirt. The woman said nothing until the shirt was completely open, exposing Aubrey chest, covered by another white shirt.

She frowned and raised her eyes in question.

Aubrey shrugged blushing.

"It's what I usually wear..." she almost apologized "I don't get naked often with people. Like... never."

" _Never?_ "

"You haven't answered!" Stacie sighed, trying to find the right words, her hands playing with the material of the shirt. "Look..." Aubrey spoke again, pushing aside her own embarrassment "I just want you there, you and Dora, there are rooms for you both there and..."

"And you father will be thrilled to have a prostitute under his roof." Stacie finished for her, pulling the shirt up and out the trousers. Nobody had ever offered her a place where to live and she was touched by it, but at the same time she knew she couldn't impose on Aubrey like that.

"Father wouldn't be a problem, I promise."

The brunette scoffed, raising an hand up to caress Aubrey's face, looking her like she was the most precious person in the world.

"You love your father, Aubrey. Don't do things that could humiliate him. Men never take it well."

"He knows." Aubrey frowned as Stacie's hands stopped but keep talking, smiling at the woman "He had known all this time... About the Bandit Bellas, and what we do, and... he knows about me, about me being here. Now." She liked her lips and covered Stacie's hand with her own. "Come to live with me."

A breathless laugh left Stacie's throat as she took a step back from Aubrey, freeing herself from her touch, trying to elaborate all her words so that they would make sense somehow.

"He knows? About us? About us being the bandits? _Bellas_? _What that even means_? Aubrey what the fuck-"

"He wouldn't betray us Stacie. I swear! He had know since the beginning. He likes what we do." Aubrey smile was bigger than Stacie had ever seen it. There it was, the proud daughter of her father. He gave her a pat on her head and she was actually drowning in pride!

She had to admit she liked that look on her, as opposite at the usual brooding; perhaps she liked the woman a little more than she thought... which was one of the reasons she couldn't accept her offer.

"I can't ride everyday from your ranch to the House" she said crossing her arms over her chest.

"You wouldn't have to. You won't need to work anymore. Not like this. You can work with me at the ranch."

"And sleep with you?" Stacie asked frowning. "Or with your father? Or with some – if not all – the men there? Because that-"

"What? No! No Stacie. I'm not-"

The brunette stopped Aubrey from getting near her. She knew, on a human level, that the other woman was doing it out of friendship, if not more, but it was also clear she had no idea about the consequences she could face because of that choice.

Stacie didn't have the same problem.

"You aren't asking me Aubrey, and I know you would never expect something from me, but others would do it for you. Don't you see, love? People would never understand.. and I could never accept to hurt you like this."

"I don't care what they say" Aubrey replied stubbornly, reaching for her again, touching her arms with her fingertips, her eyes pleading "It's my life and yours! We don't have to anything we don't want to." Stacie had to smile at that because under the mask of the bandit, and under the brave rebel woman, Aubrey was still a little princess in her own way and she didn't really get that rules, especially social rules, weren't there to be broken. She could admit that her willingness to change things and fight for her made her swoon a bit; but she also felt sad, and honoured, and a bit broken too.

"You may don't care Aubrey, but others do. I'm a prostitute, love, as you have pointed out quite loudly... it's all I am to them, all I'll ever be..."

"I was wrong! I was wrong, okay?!" Aubrey's eyes flashed with angriness and regret "Please, Stacie"

"I'm not angry with you, Aubrey." She smiled opening her arms to allow the woman to embrace her "I'm not. I just see things you refuse to acknowledge right now." She squeezed the woman and put her head on her shoulder once again. There was nothing sexual in that embrace, and Stacie relaxed in it. Nobody, before that night, had ever offered her something without asking a piece of her in return.

"Just... just think about it, okay?" Aubrey whispered tightening her hug, her hands moving slowly on her back "Please. Think about it. For you. For Dora. For.. a future in which you wouldn't be working in this place. You don't have to sleep with me. Or with.. my father." She grunted making Stacie laugh "Especially _with my father_! And the others would leave you alone if we told them. And if someone will bother you... I'll be there. As a friend. Which I am. A friend, I mean... your friend." She pouted going over her own speech, probably trying to understand if she had said all she wanted.

"I know, Aubrey." Stacie smiled, touched "You're my best friend."

"Am I?" She could hear the pleasure in her voice "So, you'll think about it, right? Just thinking. No pressure."

Despite everything, Stacie nodded, unwilling to hurt Aubrey over something she would never do.

"I'm not accepting it, love" She raised her head to watch her friend in the eyes, completely serious about it. "I'm not saying yes. But I will think about it. I promise."

Aubrey thought about it and nodded giving her a smile... and then blushed, when her eyes fell on Stacie's breasts once again. Stacie was sure the blonde had completely forgot about her state of undress, concentrated as she was on her speech and the eventual answer.

She laughed at her, and pulled the woman against her body, recapturing her lips for a long heated kiss.

"Well" she said licking her lip and tasting Aubrey on them "now that we have cleared that up..."

The blush that covered, once again, Aubrey's face and the incredulous look she gave her – like she thought Stacie was going to push her away now – were the best way to begin the rest of their night; another night both them would never ever forget.

From the next day on, Aubrey was going to become the main target of the good society of Lucky Star and Stacie was going to give her a reason to keep her head straight and a smile on her face.

 **§§§§§**

Surprisingly, after the night she slept with Aubrey, things became better for Stacie.

From then on thoughts about Old Buck, which body was yet to be discovered and perhaps would never be, faded away little by little, and she resumed her life like his death had never happened. Also, Aubrey's actions had boosted up her popularity inside the House, both with the patrons than, shocking enough, with the other girls.

She was still the Princess.

Obviously, Aubrey never showed up again to the brothel, but that only time had costed her her reputation.

Stacie had crossed ways with her friend twice in the following days and the blonde didn't seemed touched at all by the whispers behind her back. If nothing else, Aubrey was behaving with a new obvious respect toward her and the brothel's girls, nodding politely with a smile on her face each time she met them and being a sort of perfect gentleman. The thought always made Stacie smile. It was shocking how one night of sex could change a person like that. The stiff, decorous Ms Posen becoming relaxed and uncaring about peer pressure.

Stacie knew it wasn't just sex. To Aubrey, that night, _her first time,_ had been special. It had drawn a line between what it was expected from Aubrey Posen and what Aubrey Posed wanted and expected for herself.

Stacie could admit she liked this Aubrey a lot. Surely it couldn't be one night to change her heart, but the brunette found herself smiling more often and thinking a lot about the delicious insecurity Aubrey showed her.

It wasn't love, of course. It wasn't even a crush. But her life never was particularly easy and every spark of happiness was welcomed, as long as it would last.

So, Stacie wasn't worried at all, when her mind drifted back to the night with Aubrey. Men had lost their appeal years before, and even someone like Tom, whom she was currently in bed with, had faded in the mass of unnamed men she couldn't remember.

Aubrey stood out from that multitude like gold from rocks.

She smiled, enjoying the exhaustion that was pervading her body, while her mind was in her special place, until Tom spoke, interrupting her memories.

"Uhmm... I needed that." He turned his head, one hand behind it, and gave her his almost sparkling smile. She smiled back. She liked Tom; he was a little too smug for her taste, but there were worse things a man could be. "You're the best, babe."

"I know." The giggled together like kids and his free hand found her body again.

"No time for that, love." She admonished him, but let his hand roam freely on her skin. No harm in treating him kindly since Tom was one of her best customers so far. Surprisingly, he moved it away anyway and sat up.

"I really have no time for that." he said "Damn Bumper and his plans." She watched him stand up and appreciated his muscles in the same way she loved remembering the softness of Aubrey's. They were her favourites, she decided.

"I don't understand why you're working for him." she commented stretching like a cat. Tom looked at her, his reactions obvious. They both laughed at it, Stacie more pleased than him.

"He pays well. He got a lot of money, you know?" Stacie shrugged, like the thought never crossed her mind. "Right now a big load of gold is leaving Dallas, and in two weeks I'll take it. I'll met the guy at Sullivan Creek and take it here. An easy job for a lucky man. He's paying me a lot and I'll even buy you a new dress... from Paris, or London..." he smiled his boyish, charming, smile, and Stacie mirrored him; it was what he was expecting from her.

Her mind though, was already running and planning and evaluating how to use that new information.

 **§§§§§**

Two days later she told Beca to speak with Aubrey.

Three night later she explained what Tom had told her, trying to ignore Aubrey's hurt, and bad concealed, expression.

The next day she had the first hint something was wrong with her.

Some hours later, she was sure of it.

She was pregnant.

Again.


End file.
